Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: Misery Business
by EibonVirgo
Summary: Silvan Levine is NOT a "nice girl." Resident smart blonde, duelist, and kick-ass mechanic, she knows her way around the road like no one else. After a while of being left behind in Satellite by her best friends and former teammates, Silvan decides to fight her way up the ladder once more to show that the business of misery is no laughing matter. (OCxYusei)
1. Go

****Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's: Misery Business

**On a roll. I really love YGO 5D's, waaaaaaaay more than GX. (The original YGO surpasses all!) Hope you guys enjoy!**

Preface:

_I'm in the business of misery; let's take it from the top:_

The morning I escaped the Satellite was cool and misty, not cool enough to bother me and not hot enough to irritate me. It reminded me vaguely of the morning Yusei had been preparing his own escape to the city...  
I didn't know what it was with misty days; they always seemed to provide me a cool relief from the terrors of days before, but somehow breaking down to an even greater headache. The morning before Kalin was dragged off to The Facility had been misty and cool, a calm before the storm.  
The morning Jack had taken advantage of Rally to escape with Yusei's new runner and his Stardust Dragon had been misty, and whaddya know, not especially hot but not especially cold.  
Maybe it was just the timing. I wasn't one for superstitions, or for dwelling on the past.  
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?  
Especially here, in the Satellite. It was just around when I was born when this huge explosion separated us from New Domino City, making me an orphan and the rest of the Satellite's inhabitants miserable. I grew up in Martha's care, almost completely alone...  
I used to bunk with Yusei and the guys down in the subway... Since he left, I've found no purpose there anymore. After you've been good friends with someone for your entire life, you find them impossible to forget; instead, you leave behind all you've gone through and look to what you think will happen next, then brace yourself and try to take the brunt.  
Like all of us orphans learned the hard way, there's no such thing as weakness in the Satellite; you show it, the city will crush you like a bug.  
The garage I inhabit on the city line between the B.A.D District and the slums is well-visited and worked to the bone, given my abundance in business. People come my way all the time.  
Of course, just looking at duel runners and tools reminds me of the good old days, the once-upon-a-time when I was a member of The Enforcers with Yusei, Crow, Jack, and Kalin... There's no escaping my past here.  
I'd wanted to get out of there for so long. After all my friends had split, I'd found no purpose to stay where I was. I prefer to ride at fast speeds, thank you very much, and I'd really like to keep up with the times of the generation. Especially as Yusei and Jack must be riding very fast, and it's not like me to ride behind their limelight. However vain it may seem, I'm terrified of being left alone. I can handle pain and darkness and everything else in the world, but I can't be alone. So I try to surround myself with a few of my closest friends, and at least stay connected to some people.  
I didn't like it when they all left. It was a bit of a cycle; Kalin was arrested, Jack turned to the dark side because they offered him cookies (of a sort), Yusei left to take back what belonged to him, and I haven't spoken to Crow in years. But like I said before, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I guess now, it's time for my own escape. I have to go and find my own way.  
This cool, misty morning will be a good cover for me. It took me a while, but I've finally formulated a unique escape plan. The Pipeline won't be through maintenance anytime soon; instead, I've taken a while to build some new additions to my duel runner that'll help me get the hell outta here.  
I rolled my runner out into the sidestreet beside the garage, leaning it against the flank wall while I locked up. Even though I was going to New Domino City, no one would touch my stuff. It's a simple fact that I don't like it when people touch or take my stuff. I rode out quietly into the main square of the B.A.D. District, trying not to draw much attention to myself. Of course, I drew attention. People were saying hi to me, left and right. "Yo, Silver!"  
"Wassup, Silver?"  
"Ya look hot, Silver!"  
"How've ya been, Silver?"  
"It's Silver Silvan!"  
It's a little hard to not be noticed when you look like I do. My nickname, "Silver Silvan." I've been told often that, because I have physical distinctions that are unlike anyone else's in the Satellite, I stand out in a crowd. Actually, everyone in the Satellite is different. You could see the differences just in me and the guys.  
Crow's got auburn hair and gray eyes, and is tanned like everyone else here. Kalin has seriously light, almost white hair, and the neon blue eyes, but's kind of pale like me. Jack has blonde hair and violet eyes, and isn't really pale but really tan either. Yusei has dark hair and those gold highlights, and the ocean eyes that you don't often see; he's probably the most tan, even has a little olive to his skin tone.  
I have the long platinum hair that has a little curl to it and really light blue eyes that're like ice, and I'm pale enough to be albino; I don't know why, but I always burn instead of tanning.  
I'm called "Silver" because of the lightness of my hair, eyes, and skin, and on sunny days, I actually look silver.  
I'd prefer to look generic, thank you very much. But I do have a history of getting the opposite of what I want.  
I just smiled and waved back at them, trying to speed up to get out of their lines of vision. At the edge of the B.A.D. District, I spotted Daedalus Bridge. Still unfinished, but there was about forty yards outcropping towards the water. This was either going to work, or I was going to die. Either outcome, I was completely okay with.  
I took a breath and stuffed my platinum curls into my helmet, and revved the engine once. As my runner launched itself off of the bridge, I heard the whirr of the engine accelerating and my prototype wings making their entrance; I was blinded for a moment, and I felt woozy.  
_Oh, no_...

"Silvan!"  
"Yo, Silvan!"  
"Silvan! Get up!"  
"Silvan? Are you sleeping?"  
Groggily, I rolled over and realized I was sprawled on the floor of the garage; the guys were staring down at me. Yusei's ocean eyes sparkled. "Another all-nighter?"  
I sighed. "Yeah."  
Crow laughed and looked at me through a haze of opiates. "Dude, you work too much!"  
Jack's violets were sharp. "Have some fun once, jeez."  
"Hey!" I snapped. "I have fun!"  
"Oh yeah? When?"  
"All the time!"  
Kalin's turquoise eyes were amused. "Yeah, Silvan works. We get it. Follow her example, you jokers!"  
"Hey!" Jack and Crow protested. I giggled, and Yusei's strong arm pulled me off of the concrete. Had I really been sleeping under a duel runner? A smile pulled at the corners of his lips. "Had a long night, eh?"  
"You have no idea!" I groaned. "Do you know how hard it is to build three different duel runner frames on request down to every last rivet, as well as try to fill all of Kalin's demands?"  
"Well," Kalin defended himself. "If we're going to take down the big duel gangs with big technology, we need big technology too! And I'd hardly call them demands."  
"I'd help, but I think I'd hurt your pride," Yusei sighed. "I said I didn't want any help, not that I didn't need it!" I laughed, shoving his shoulder.  
"Okay, good, because I disobeyed you a long time ago."  
"What?!"  
Everyone laughed.  
"And why didn't you tell me this earlier?!" my voice rose an octave.  
Yusei's voice dropped to a whisper. "You didn't ask."  
"Ugh, you jerk."  
"Wow, such strong words. I'm hurt."  
"I will kick you and you will fall."  
"How much are you willing to bet on that?"  
"All the money in my pocket!"  
"Which would be?"  
I thought for a moment. "Uh... About 5."  
"Nice."  
"I just worked a half shift, I'm not done yet, jeez."  
"How is a whole night a half?"  
"You're not really into it unless you're up for two days straight!"  
"Where's your logic coming from?"  
Our voices, still arguing, suddenly mixed and the scene burst away in a misty puff.  
My head was heavy and my limbs were locked, my teeth clenched. Right at the high point over Daedalus... Typical. My visions didn't plan on holding out on me. After a moment, I was able to look out slightly; the wings were fully extended across the sound and cast a wide shadow over the water. I broke through the first cloud layer and the sun glinted off of something, probably my hair, and right onto the water. It wasn't a smooth landing. My front wheel lodged itself heavily into the pavement, the back following almost head over heels and digging into the edge of the landing. I punched the brake abruptly and then let myself accelerate, stopping roughly a few feet from this end's bridge outcropping.  
I wasn't completely sure what to think, but I did know that I'd just jumped Daedalus Bridge and lived.  
Dude, Crow would hate me for this!  
I'd taken a couple weeks, most of the days without sleeping, building prototype wings and testing them out on scale models. After double digit testing failures, one of the prototypes finally made it past, almost barely. But of course, I'd estimated the measures of the bridges and the distance between them; the dexterity and lightness of the materials I'd used weren't the best either, and therefore, I'd had about a 50% chance of making it.  
Apparently, the odds were in my favor.  
I punched the accelerator again and the duel runner shot out from under me, and skidded to a stop in a sea of Satellite cargo. Sighing, I got up and ambled over, testing the brakes again. Regrettably, my engine was nearly busted. iWonderful\i.  
Seeing no other option, I heaved the duel runner off of the ground and pushed it along in front of me, at a loss for what I was supposed to do.  
Outside of the harbor, I heard sirens. Oh, great.  
I jumped onto my duel runner and punched the accelerator again, easing it into manual. The engine made a guttural, metallic sound.  
"Dammit," I grumbled, and hit the accelerator again. The duel runner inched its way forward, stopping and going abruptly in short puffs of depleted energy.  
"Come on," I coaxed. "Move it!"  
I punched the engine again and the runner jerked forward, speeding along like a heartbeat.  
I saw lights now, behind me, flashing at my back. "Hey, you!" a loud voice commanded. "Stop!"  
I jammed my foot on the accelerator, and the duel runner gave one last burst of speed until the engine sputtered and the machine rolled to a stop. I cursed under my breath, and like five Sector Security duel runners, all messy work, circled around me.  
I'd thought machines had built duel runners in New Domino City, but this was just sad. The body work was messy and ill-made, not what any good mechanic would be proud of. Of course, I don't think machines can be proud. "You! Satellite trash! What do you think you're doing here?"  
iTrash\i? Well, that was rude. Like a smart girl, I decided to say nothing. "You're not gonna answer, huh? Whatever, you're goin' to the Facility anyways!" the first guy who'd spoken said in his still-loud voice. I groaned mentally. The Facility? Shit.  
Trees whipped in the sudden wind. Lights flashed down on us, and I looked through my helmet at an approaching helicopter. To my surprise, it actually landed beside us on the pavement. A man got out, kinda tall and lanky and dressed in all gray; I presumed he was older than he looked, given his paler skin tone that had taken on the same gray tinge as his long hair. He had sharp eyes and a nose straight as an arrow, and his gloved hands were folded neatly behind his back. Well, he seemed pretty important.  
"Officer," he shouted above the wind of the helicopter. "What is your quarrel with this young lady?"  
"Trespasser from the Satellite, sir!" the officer yelled back, above the din of the copter's whirring blades. "Following protocol!"  
A few moments passed before anything was said, and the engine of the copter was cut off abruptly, the blades swinging to a stop. The man was now looking at me.  
"I can't help but notice that you jumped from one side of the Daedalus Bridge, which remains unfinished, to the other. You have quite the unique duel runner."  
"Oh, well," I stuttered, tracing my words carefully as to not get myself into more trouble. "I built it to be kinda special..."  
"Oh really? You built it on your own?"  
"Yes, sir," I spoke slowly and cautiously. "I'm a mechanic..."  
The man raised an eyebrow and got a strange, cryptic look in his eye. "Well, it appears to be broken."  
_No shit_, I thought.  
"You might want to fix it sooner or later. Perhaps you could do the same with the rest of the broken, malfunctioned, faulty vehicles used by Sector Security."  
Okaaaayyy, unfair! This guy was offering me two choices: come build and fix stuff for Sector Security, or go to the Facility for who-knows-how-long. Do I have a choice at all? That was a rhetorical question.  
"You're serious?" I sighed incredulously, trying to keep all the insults and accusations from flying out like knives.  
"I wouldn't want someone so gifted to waste such a precious talent. You're better off using it for good instead of to cause trouble."  
"Cause trouble?" What a generous assumption.  
He wasn't really giving me a chance to refuse. And I ireally\i didn't want to go to the Facility.  
"I guess I'll take you up on that offer," I sighed.  
"Officer Trudge!" the man ordered sharply. The guard who'd spoken to me earlier, or shouted more like, turned to attention with an uneasy look. "Yes sir, Director Goodwin?"  
"Transport this young lady back to Headquarters, make sure she's comfortable and has somewhere she can fix her duel runner."  
The officer, Trudge, got this look on his face like, _"Are you f'ing kidding me?"_  
Then with a sigh, Trudge motioned me over and hooked this fishing line-looking thingy to the front of my duel runner. "Get on," he grumbled.  
Trying to hold back giggles, I hopped on the seat of my own duel runner, and Trudge punched his runner's accelerator and actually started pulling me along.  
The streets were still lit with neon around all kinds of different shopping districts from the previous night; for once, I wasn't stared at when we rode by. It was a good feeling. The hustle and bustle of the city was refreshing, different from the shattered souls of the Satellite.  
We passed a lot of high-rise apartments and gigantic office buildings, even some skyscrapers that were a sight to see. One of them was large and looked like it was flourishing nicely; the neon sign that was no longer lit from night read,_ Arcadia Movement Headquarters._ Arcadia? It rang a dim bell. Not sure what I'd remembered it from, but it couldn't have been too important.  
The Sector Security building was also huge and towered over us all, seeming to swallow our little motorcade as it rode into the underpass below.  
Trudge unhooked the connector thing between our duel runners and took off his helmet in sort of a pissed-off motion, setting it down on the seat of his runner.  
Trudge was sort of bulky, with untidy dark hair and hard dark eyes, thick eyebrows that were sharply set, and a scar tearing down his right cheek. He looked like the kind of guy who boiled live puppies as a hobby.  
"What's your name, Satellite?" he asked gruffly.  
"Um, Silvan," I said in a quiet voice. "It's Silvan."  
"You really don't sound too sure of yourself."  
"Well, maybe I'd sound more sure if you didn't look like you were going to kick my ass, or something," I grumbled under my breath.  
"I heard that," he huffed. "Yeah, I know," I said a little louder. "So what am I supposed to do, sit here?"  
"More or less."  
I let out a long sigh and unbuckled my helmet, setting it on the seat of my own duel runner.  
Trudge took another look at me. "What's someone like you doing in a trash heap like the Satellite?" I noticed his tone had lost its edge; he'd noticed I was actually female.  
"That freak explosion happened around when I was born. I grew up in Satellite."  
"Well, you seem just fine."  
"Because I'm not some weak little girl, I can take care of myself," I snapped quickly. Trudge scoffed. "You remind me of a kid I know. You both have real spunk."  
"Well," I huffed. "he has the right idea."  
"He's from the Satellite, too."  
"Hmph. I could've guessed that. You city people have no guts and no honorable way of dealing with things."  
"Hey! Are you prepared to prove that?"  
"What are you going at?"  
"If you're gonna talk so haughtily, how 'bout a duel?"  
"Oh, you're on!" I jumped up and detached my duel disk from my runner, switching out my turbo duel deck to my regular deck.  
"You'd better watch yourself, cuz I barely lose!"  
"Pssh, like _hell_ you're winning!"  
Trudge got his duel disk out, too.  
"Ready?"  
"Duel!"  
-

After two days in New Domino City, I was beginning to get used to the hustle and bustle of the daily life there.  
Just one all-nighter and my duel runner was fixed, thanks to the awesome technology Trudge hooked me up with. By the way, he's not_ so_ good at dueling; I beat him easy!  
This morning, I was allowed to sleep in; it was a good feeling, since I always get up at, like, 8:00. Up until noon, I'd been checking out Sector Security duel runners. So far, I've learned that they're made by machines, but not very well. They have a sturdy build to them that makes them easy to ride but also capable of difficult maneuvers in riding and whatnot. They have a simple mechanism in the inside but are put together in a sort of jumble, fitting the pieces easily but loosely together. That makes them prone to breaking or malfunctioning when a duel is lost; Securities rely on the strength of their decks and the elasticity of their strategies to win. They're caught off guard by strong duelists who know their way around the battlefield and could easily beat them.  
I spent a little while trying to figure out how to alter the entire duel runner as to not change the outer design or handling mechanics, but instead change the strength of the runner in general... It seems a little weird helping Sector Security, but I'd be in the Facility otherwise. I'd rather stay on Goodwin's good side.  
This morning, I took my duel runner out and decided to explore the city a little; I got permission from Trudge first. He said I could trail-blaze a little on the exception that I don't get myself into any trouble. You're talkin' to iSilver Silvan\i here, Trudge. I don't think good behavior is possible.  
The city this morning was wide and abuzz with life, like always. I think I like this better than the Satellite; it would take everyone back home 'till noon (at least) to find the faith to get on with their lives.  
Here where the sun shines clearly, I saw silver glinting off of buildings and pavements. Now, finally, I drew some attention to myself... Sigh. My silver-ness is never ignored.  
Around the next left, I spotted the Arcadia Movement Headquarters. Again, the building spiked my curiosity. I hadn't seen anyone go in or out of that that place in the last two days at all, which was highly unusual. It didn't look abandoned. I got closer, and an ominous feeling came over me. Yeah, I had a feeling I'd either been here before or I'd known that it wasn't the best place in the world. Probably the latter. But, me being me, my curiosity got the best of me. I rode a couple laps around the exterior of the building, taking a good outer surveillance. From the outside, it didn't look like such a complicated structure.  
Leaving my duel runner amidst some other parked vehicles to blend it in, I took a breath and approached the front entrance. The doors were wide and slid open on their own.  
The inside of the building was tall and grand with more floors than I could count. A lot of things were gilded, which alerted me immediately; Martha said once to be aware of things that were covered in gold or gave an air of richness. They were most likely cheap and crappy underneath.  
There were people in weird looking robes passing me by, and their wide eyes locked on me when I walked past them. Uncomfortable, I walked through towards the opposite side of the grand hallway I was walking down.  
"Hey!" I turned around; someone was walking towards me, and by their fast pace, they probably weren't pleased. He got closer and I took a look at him quickly; thick brown hair, long bangs, snake eyes that glinted, and a tall lean build. He was richly dressed and wore black gloves like mine.  
"What are you doing, trespassing?" he demanded. "No one is allowed in this building without my ordinance first."  
"Oh," I huffed. "I'm sorry. I'm new here, I didn't know... I'll leave right away."  
I turned to go, and I was stopped for a second.  
He replied, "You look extravagantly familiar. Have we met before?"  
"I don't think so," I said. "This is the first time I've been here."  
He took a long look at me. "What's your name, miss?"  
"Um, Silvan, sir. Silvan Levine...?"  
Those snake eyes glinted again. "Oh?"  
"Er... Am I supposed to know who you are...?"  
He shook his head. "My name is Sayer; I'm the head of the Arcadia Movement. I apologize, I had no idea who you were. Welcome, _Miss Levine_." the way he addressed me, smooth and welcoming, jolted me. This didn't feel right... Did he know me?  
He motioned for me to follow him and, reluctantly, I did. Sayer led me out into the foyer of the building, which was tall and grand and had many squared balconies. I followed him through a few more hallways until we came to a glass-paneled room with a view onto a lower floor.  
Down on what looked like a duel field, there was a young woman dueling a sickly looking young man with many wristlets attached to his arms.  
A roar echoed and the room shook as a huge dragon-appearing as though it were made entirely of roses-attacked a small robot; judging by the collapse of the boy, he'd just lost the duel. More of those strangely robed people carried the unconscious boy away. I found myself worrying for his life.  
The ding of an elevator sounded, and the young woman came into the room with Sayer and me.  
"Silvan," Sayer said politely. "meet one of our best: Akiza."  
Akiza was tall and curvy with short magenta spikes styled cleverly around her heart-shaped face, and huge chestnut eyes that were even wider with excitement. She was about the same height as me, and looked as fierce and sharp as that rose dragon I'd seen moments ago.  
"Akiza," Sayer said smoothly in that voice he'd used to welcome me. "this is Silvan Levine."  
Akiza looked me up and down curiously, and by the look on her face, I don't think she was very impressed with what she saw. Suddenly, I felt woozy. _No!_  
The scene changed in a misty puff and I was suddenly in a big house.  
I was confused; all these dumb visions I had were all of my past. This wasn't part of my past... I would've known if it was.  
There was a bang, and a crashing noise from upstairs. Jolted, I ran forward until I found a stairwell, and upstairs, there was heat radiating from the first door to my right.  
Cautiously, I put my hand on the knob; it was scorching hot, but for some reason, it didn't bother me. Wrenching open the door, I found myself in the middle of what looked like a nightmare.  
Candy colored flames licked along the walls, casting a reddish glow over the wide room. Furniture was broken and glass had shattered; the shards of each were scattered across the floor. The center of a duel field had been painted in the center of the wooden floor between a little girl and what looked like her father... The girl's father was sprawled against the wall, obviously injured more than not, and his wife had knelt down next to him to help. The girl, suddenly realizing I was in the room, and turned around; her chestnut eyes were wide with fear and a glowing red outline of a claw was etched on her right forearm.  
"Akiza...?"

My mind swam as my vision returned to normal, and I still felt slightly dizzy. Had I just seen Akiza's past...?  
"Silvan!"  
I was jolted back to the present world; Sayer looked preoccupied with my apparent vacancy. "Is there something wrong?"  
I shook my head and tried to play it off. "No, nothing's wrong. I'm fine."  
Akiza's almond eyes were sharp suddenly. "What did you just do?"  
"W-What do you mean?"  
"You just... That!" Akiza looked puzzled, unsure of herself. "You were in my head...!"  
"W-What?"  
"You got this weird look in your eye, and then I was trapped in my own head... And you were there! What did you just do?!"  
"I-I don't know," I stuttered. "It happens all the time, but just involving my memories..."  
Her fists clenched, and I felt a rise of tension in the room like there was a power I couldn't see. "I'll-"  
"Akiza!" Sayer commanded in a smooth voice that was somewhat raised. "That's enough of that; Silvan is special, like you."  
"What?" the reply came through clenched teeth. I, on the other hand, was confused.  
"Yes," he continued. "And she is to be treated as such."  
Akiza tossed me a sour look before relaxing finally. The tension in the room disappeared. "Yes, Sayer."  
"Now, Akiza. I expect you and Silvan to stick together. After all, you are very much the same."  
With a sigh, she replied again, "Yes, Sayer."  
Sayer gave a satisfied smile that didn't seem very genuine; more like conniving. "Now, if you will excuse me..." he looked off into the distance. "There is someone who shouldn't be here..."  
Yeah, and it's me! This place was really starting to creep me out. The weirdness and all... I was beginning to form an escape plan in my head, especially if Akiza decided to attack me spontaneously.  
But she just kind of glared at me for a second, then slumped down on a chair that was in the room. She looked down at the floor. "So, you're like me, huh?"  
"I-I guess...?"  
"You don't seem very sure of yourself."  
"That might be because I have no idea how and why I'm here," I sighed.  
She sat up a little. "You iare\i psychic, right? That's how you got in my head."  
"Wha... Psychic? You're kidding me, right?"  
"You didn't know you're psychic? It's obvious, I can sense it all over you. There's no way you could've sifted through my memory like that without being psychic."  
"Wait... Is that why I'm here?"  
"The Arcadia Movement is a haven for psychic duelists," Akiza explained, sounding a little puzzled. "You really don't know much, do you?"  
"What's that supposed to mean?!"  
"Just that you don't know about your power and you can't control it, that's all," she sighed. "I guess you are like me."  
"So, uh," I said, lowering my voice a little. "About that memory... What was it?"  
Akiza paused, and I felt an awkward uneasiness spread through the room like that tension had. "It was when I first realized I was psychic, and I accidentally hurt my father in a practice duel. Then that _damn_ mark appeared, and..." she tugged at her right glovelet. "What's it supposed to mean?"  
"Something about a Crimson Dragon," Akiza said. "It means me and four other people with my mark are supposed to save the world someday, but all it's gotten me is suffering."  
"That's a pretty big responsibility," I replied. "You must be pretty special."  
"Hardly. I'm thought of as a witch. Even my own parents are afraid of me."  
"I don't have any parents."  
"What? Why?"  
"Oh, well, I'm from the Satellite."  
Akiza, again, was confused. I appeared to have totally confounded her. "So, why are you here?"  
"I didn't like it there, so I came here. It's only my second day here. I thought this place looked interesting, so I checked it out, here I am."  
"How did you get here? Shouldn't you be in the Facility...?" she seemed unsure again. "I was offered a job working for Security instead," I sighed half-heartedly. "I didn't have much of a conscious choice."  
We both sighed at the same time. "I guess we might be the same."  
"Pretty much..."  
The room was quiet for a long moment. Akiza got up suddenly. "We should probably go find Sayer..."  
"That's a good idea," I agreed, and she led me out of the glass paneled room.  
The two of us traipsed along the hallway, but I suddenly felt a wave of negative emotion hit me like a boulder. The woozy feeling spread through me again, and I lurched off of my feet. "Silvan?!"  
The scene in front of me dissolved to a tall, pretty woman with long dark hair as sleek as a raven's wing, and kind eyes that looked down on a little boy with love.  
"...really, sis! The Arcadia Movement is cool! I met that cool girl Akiza, and she told me to join!"  
"I don't think that's a good idea," the young woman sighed.  
"But Misty-"  
"No buts... I want you to be safe, okay?"  
The scene dissolved abruptly then, as someone forced me out of their mind and back into the real world. I was back in the Arcadia Movement, and Akiza was dueling the same young woman I'd just seen. Her once kind eyes glared at me. "I'd thank you not to try that again!"  
Knowing I couldn't control whatever I'd done, I jumped up and stumbled to keep my footing; I remained lightheaded.  
"Akiza!" I said. "Do you want me to stick around?"  
"No, I've got this!" she told me. "You go, get out of here! I can handle this!"  
Unsure, I inched backwards. The confident, steadfast feelings I felt throughout the room masked the hatred and death. I sighed. "See you around, Akiza!"  
I bolted down through the nearest hallway, trying to find some method of exiting out of the building.  
End after end, I found myself getting tragically lost. After about my fifth corridor, the ground began to quake.  
"Dammit!" I cursed, and sprinted back the way I came. Guessing this time, I took the left corridor, and it actually led to a flight of stairs. I took them up to the roof, and spotted another young woman with flowing dark hair and mesmerizing eyes; she was dueling Sayer.  
The woozy feeling came over me again...  
"No," I huffed weakly. "Not now..."  
I was suddenly in a theme park... With Jack! I wanted to give him a huge hug and tell him I was glad to see him, but he looked a little preoccupied moping to himself. Sigh, good ol' Jack...  
Like before, the scene burst away and I was pushed out of the young woman's mind, and she gave me an ominous look. "I'll teach you to mess with my mind!" she exploded to me, her dark eyes full of something cryptic and terrible.  
The ground suddenly gave out from under me, as it did Sayer, and we both fell down.  
Terrified, I saw Akiza flash past me, terror in her gaze. I shut my eyes so all I heard was her scream, and thought up the most tranquil thing I could, calling on the memory to calm me.  
The terror beneath me dissolved, the place around me with it. I was back in the Satellite, dueling Yusei.  
I lost terribly of course, but he just laughed and helped me up after I'd failed.  
"Stop laughing!" I grumbled. "It's not funny!"  
"I'm not laughing at you," he assured me. "I'm laughing because you keep hitting yourself for losing. You're getting better."  
"Better isn't good enough! I have to be awesome! How can I be the best at turbo dueling if I can't even duel regularly?"  
"You're over thinking it way too much," he sighed. "Just think one step ahead. You're good at that. Go one step ahead of your opponent, and three steps ahead of yourself. Not the other way around. You have to be ready for anything."  
"I'm not as good at this as you are," I huffed.  
"And you won't be unless you stop telling yourself that," he laughed again. "Now get up, we're going again."  
"What?"  
"Come on, Silvan, have some fun with it at least!"  
"I will get you back for this someday..."  
The memory fizzled and vanished... My fondest memory was anything having to do with Yusei or the guys. They were all so charismatic and made me feel, well... Not alone. They were my family, I loved them.  
My vision cleared; I was sprawled on the grass next to my duel runner? What had just happened?  
The ground shook beneath me. I looked up towards the Arcadia HQ; the building swayed back and forth like it was in danger of collapsing... Strange lights filled the sky and suddenly, in one powerful tremor, the Arcadia HQ collapsed.  
"Akiza!" I shouted. Was she still in the building...? If she was, was she okay?  
Far away, in the Satellite, the same strange lights glowed from the B.A.D. District.

**Screw 4Kids! I'll do what I want! XD  
Not exactly how it goes... But pretty close.**

**Thanks for reading! See ya! ;D**

**-Eibon**


	2. Time

Misery Business

**Hi everyone! Thanks for the feedback! The line spacing was hard to read, I know... I'll have to go back and fix that :D Here's chapter one, and I hope it's easier to read!**

Chapter 1: Time

Worries. Worry, worried, worrying, worries. Yusei used to say I have a problem with paranoia; I might as well be actually growing silver hairs by now...

Months passed, and ever since Arcadia's collapse, stranger things have been happening. I haven't seen Akiza at all, which worries me immensely, but apparently Trudge has and is keeping her in check. But afterward, stuff just got stranger and stranger.

Other buildings collapsed as well... Gigantic monsters started appearing along with those weird lights, and people were disappearing without a trace. Something happened to Goodwin too, something that no one will tell me about because I was locked down here the entire time. Trudge said it was to keep me out of harm's way (or getting into trouble), but he wasn't the one stuck in a confined space where you can feel every single tremor that rocks the city. On the bright side, all of it's passed. Well, as far as I know. No one tells me anything anymore, but then again, when did they ever?

Since then, things have been quiet. I've long since learned that the guys are here in the city, all except Kalin, and are living here too; although I don't know where I could find them or if they even know I'm here. Considering all the times Trudge rambles about them, I find it hard to believe that I haven't come across any of them once.

If I did see them, I know I'd be overjoyed. Without Trudge and Mina, I'd be all alone. And we all know, I hate being alone.

Anyway... A lot happened. I don't know every last detail, but I know it involved my friends I haven't seen at all and world destruction...

Man, if I'd been there! Let the guys have all the glory and fun without me... Looks like I need to ride faster to keep up. Especially since I heard that Yusei was in charge of the finishing of Daedalus Bridge, as well as the legalizing of turbo duels. I miss him... All of them...

This afternoon was a busy one. I was working 'till all hours on a fourth prototype of a new Sector Security duel runner. So far, the three I've built have been successful failures. The first was a successful fit of interior along with the same outer body like I'd aimed, but it imploded when I activated Speed World 2. The second had to be a little more expendable, because I'd overlooked a couple of things in the previous model. Id enlarged the frame of it slightly as to look almost the same as the current duel runner used by Security, and added what I'd skipped along with some new add-ons. It tested fine, but it didn't accelerate beyond 10mph.

The third was a little easier to build, because I'd gotten most of it right the last time; I'd tried to make the engine bigger for course if acceleration, but it overheated in the first four minutes of testing.

This model, number four, I was hoping would work correctly. I was keeping the body design again and tweaked it in the smaller places instead of larger; less is more, right? And once I do create a successful model, Trudge says that they can input it into the design systems so that the machines that normally make Security runners will make the new ones instead. I've also been mulling over creating a team for the World Racing Grand Prix... Only three people. If the guys and I were racing together, that race would stand no chance!

Sigh. I'll figure it out sometime. Just not now, because I'm losing my train of thought.

I grabbed a Philip's Head screwdriver and a 5/16ths drill bit for the drill already buried somewhere under the hood; I'd started reconnecting the wires now, and the circuit board was beginning to fall online... Maybe this wouldn't be as long as I thought.

I found my way back around to the duel runner and groped for a wire cutter.

I was jolted as the door swung open and hit the wall really hard; the impact was loud enough to startle me into dropping the wire cutter into a pile of cords. Sighing, I knelt down to untangle it.

"Silvan!"

I was again jolted and stood up fast, hitting my head on a shelf of books on hydroelectricity, the Sector Security protocol guide, and a book about the history of New Domino City. Feeling lightheaded, slightly sick, and hurt on the top of my head, I stood up and rubbed my scalp. "Mina... What the hell do you want?"

Mina was in the doorway, looking flustered but still pale, and terrified. "It's Trudge! He's in the hospital!"

"What?"

I didn't really give it much thought; what I was currently aware of was that Mina was trailing far behind me, and we were both riding as fast as we possibly could.

When Mina pulled up behind me to the hospital, I'd been running inside already.

Trudge was my friend, however bossy, and friends always stuck together... That's what Yusei used to say, at least. The sticking together part.

The elevator went too slow. Mina was twitching with impatience, while I was ready to break the stupid thing and take the stairs.

Near the OR, where Trudge was supposed to be, the strength of the fatigue beginning to wash over me was so great, I lost my footing.

The muscles in my body went completely dead, and I felt myself begin to loose consciousness as I was dragged into that single, strong memory.

Unable to move or pull myself out, I let my mind drift.

The world broke out from underneath me, and it was almost like I had just crossed into a different dimension.

However, in the memory I was in, I recognized New Domino City. I was riding a duel runner alongside Trudge, and he was dueling a shadowy man whose face I couldn't see. "Attack, Emperor Wisel!"

The sound of his voice had this metallic edge to it... He was a robot?

A huge white robotic monster suddenly crested up over me and Trudge, sending down an impact on Trudge that was so great, I felt real pain.

The robot and his monster raced ahead, leaving behind a destroyed duel runner and Officer Trudge... That metallic laugh of his sent shivers down my spine like nails on a chalkboard.

The scene popped out of my line of vision, dissolving in bursts and pops of darkness. I was locked in that dark world, the memory still holding me in its grip.

Someone was holding me hostage in their recollection... It couldn't have been Trudge... But wasn't this his memory?

That metallic laugh was in my thoughts again.

_Get... Out... Of... My... Head!_

Jolted, I sat up quickly. Every hair on my body stood on end, my muscles locked, and my fists were clenched tightly against my body. Terrified of what I'd just witnessed, I breathed in the air that seemed somewhat stale. For a moment-perhaps it'd been my imagination-I thought I couldn't breathe.

After a second, I realized I was back in the Sector Security HQ. "W-What just happened?" I asked no one.

"You fainted, Miss Levine."

There was only one person in my life who'd ever called me that, and it'd been Sayer; he'd given me an off vibe, and it was the same vibe whoever had just spoken was giving me.

I turned around (I'd been laying across an expensive looking couch), and met eyes with a small man dressed in whimsical, colorful clothing; his periwinkle hair was curled expertly into points that framed his inhumanly pale face, which was lined with pinkish makeup.

"O-Oh," I stuttered. "Hello, Lazar."

I'd only met Lazar once, and he hadn't known my name. I never thought he ever would. "I'm told you collapsed?"

"Y-Yeah," I mumbled. "But it's no big deal..."

"It's quite a "big deal"," Lazar sighed. "Perhaps you're not feeling well."

"Oh, no, I feel fine," I pressed, swinging my legs off of the couch and standing up. I was lightheaded like after all of my visions, but this was even more extreme. I struggled to stay upright in order to persuade Lazar to drop the subject.

Now that I was standing and could see my surroundings completely, I realized there were three other people in the room. A larger, huskier built man, a taller, medium-sized man, and a smaller, petitely proportioned man who were all clad in strange white articles of clothing and adorned with wide ornaments of some kind.

"Um," I said. "Hello."

"Ah," the largest man sighed. He seemed stocky, but gave me a feeling that he was very muscular under that cloak. "So this is the little young woman who sees through the dimensions."

The assumption tripped me up. "Uh... What?"

"Well, she doesn't seem very threatening," the smallest one replied skeptically. "You're not looking close enough, Lester," the middle-sized one scolded. "Can't you sense this one's power?"

"E-Excuse me," I cut in, thoroughly puzzled. "But who are you?"

"Miss Levine, have some manners!" Lazar said melodramatically. "These are our new directors; Director Jakob, Director Primo, and Director Lester!"

I scowled at Lazar. "Humph, imanners/i," I grumbled under my breath. "Why don't you acquire some..."

I doubt he heard me, but apparently one of the directors did. "Well, this one's got some fire in her."

I was a little tired of being referred to as "this one". "Excuse me, but my name is Silvan." I glanced at Lazar. "Not _Miss Levine_, and not _this one_. It's _Silvan_. Please, find some time to commit it to memory. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

I turned my back and walked out. My lightheadedness seemed stronger than ever, but I kept walking until I reached the elevator and punched the code to the garage on basement level. The elevator slid open and I used my own key to unlock the door to the garage; I stumbled down the stairs, now feeling like I had a major hangover. I tripped over a hubcap and fell down to the smooth floor, but I was too weak to get up again. I let my own blank thoughts close over me.

When I woke again, I felt groggy and heavy. Whatever that memory had done to me, it wasn't good. I felt sick and drained, and still lightheaded. I rolled over on the smooth concrete if the garage and wondered how much time had passed. Hopefully not too much, because it occurred to me that Trudge might still be hurt. Unless I pulled a Rip Van Winkle...

I pushed myself up off the floor and ran a hand through my hair, which felt kind of tangled. Wobbling as I stood, I wound my hair around the palm of my hand and pinned it back with a strand of wire, planning to fix it later.

Trying not to fall over again, I made my way over to the door and wrenched it open, leaning on a wall for support. Stumbling for the elevator, I punched the button to go up to the main level. Outside, I stumbled right into Kaz.

"Whoa, Silvan," he laughed. "Did you go out drinking, or something?"

I shot him a sour look. "I'm eighteen."

"I know, I know, I was joking," he chuckled, and helped me over to somewhere I could sit down. "Why are you all disoriented?"

"I don't know," I groaned. "I'm hoping it'll go away, though... I came up here for info on Trudge...?"

"He's fine," Kaz sighed, although he seemed a little down suddenly. "He was taken down in a duel by a Duelbot called Ghost; it's been taken care of, though. Someone put it out of commission. Trudge is healing up well."

"Jeez," I huffed. "Why is there always something wrong with me when exciting stuff is going on?"

Kaz laughed. "Well, on the bright side, you still have a lifetime of other exciting stuff."

"Unless I die young."

"Yeah, try not to," he chuckled. "Now, I gotta go. I've got a long-term dispatch involving stolen duel runners."

"Yeah, don't die young."

"You too."

Kaz left me sitting there, and I sighed, feeling slightly rejected. I decided I needed some fresh air.

The feeling of riding a duel runner never ceased to amaze me. I always felt free and off-the-leash when I rode, and that was always a good feeling.

The sky was a cloudless blue and a mild breeze swept through my hair, adding to my free feeling. My lightheadedness was beginning to fade.

Suddenly, gates jumped up at my left, and two duel runners raced past me. A turbo duel was in progress! Deciding I wanted to watch, I vacated to a lane over and watched from a higher radius.

A gray and blue duel runner with multiple adornments pulled considerably ahead. Lights exploded as a gigantic dragon was summoned, and a roar broke the sound barrier. "I synchro summon Shadow Void Dragon!"

That huge pulse of light faded into a dark shadow from which emerged a gigantic dragon highlighted in dark shadows. In one turn, whoever this duelist was defeated his opponent. Intrigued, I exited to the next lane and pulled over where the dueling pair had, wanting to see the ending outcome.

"Ha ha!" the winning duelist bragged. "You just got served by the king!" with a smirk, he held out his hand and the losing duelist handed him a card, one is seen before: iThe Creator/i, which was a rare ace card not many people had. He was giving away his ace!

"Hey, whoa!" I said. "What's going on here? What are you doing with this guy's ace monster?"

"I won, fair and square!" he declared. "And once the king takes you down, he gets your ace monster! That's how it works in my territory."

"Hey!" I complained, throwing my helmet off. "That's no way to treat someone, especially after a duel!"

The duelist adjusted his dark goggles and smirked at me. "Yeah? You want a beating, too?"

"Oh, like you could!" I grumbled, flipping my bangs. "What do they call you, airhead?"

"The name's Tanimaka, Kage, and you my friend are pretty cute." there was a wink behind his goggles.

"Tch, please!" I rolled my eyes. "Not in this lifetime! If you're so full of yourself, how about you prove it in a duel?"

"You're on, cutie, and when I win, you have my permission to bow down to the master of Turbo Duels!"

I pulled my helmet back on. "I'll show you what you get when you mess with me! I win, you return every monster you've stolen from every duelist you've ever taken on!"

"And if I win," he smirked again. "I get your ace monster, and a date."

I shuddered, but didn't back down. "You're on!" glancing at the other duelist, I gave him an apologetic smile. "Just standby, and I'll get you back your ace in no time."

Kage suddenly shot forward to the first turn, and I, refusing to go second, raced after him and activated Speed World 2. Narrowly, I cut him off and drew my hand.

"The first move is mine!" I declared. "Draw! I summon Machina Peacekeeper in Defense mode! Then I activate the spell card, "Wave-Motion Cannon!" For every standby phase that passes the next time I activate this card, you take damage x1000!"

I lay down another card. "I play one face down and end my turn."

The field was thrown to Kage. He drew. "I activate the spell card, "Allure of Darkness!" Thanks to this card, by discarding one Dark-type monster from my hand, I can draw two more!" He drew two cards. "I summon Armageddon Knight in Attack mode! Armageddon Knight, attack Machina Peacekeeper!"

Lights flashed and the dark knight he'd summoned destroyed the little robot I'd had on the field, but fortunately, he'd walked right into my strategy. "I activate Machina Peacekeeper's special ability! When this card is destroyed by battle, I can add one Union monster from my deck to my hand!"

Machina Gearframe popped out of my deck; oh, this was going to be fun.

Kage didn't seem fazed by this. "I place one card face down and end my turn!"

"I draw!" the field was mine now. "I summon Machina Gearframe in Attack mode! Thanks to his special ability, I can add one Machine-type monster from my deck to my hand!" I drew Machina Fortress. "And I choose Machina Fortress! Thanks to this card's special ability, I can discard Machine-type monsters in my hand with the level equal or above 8 in order to bring it to the field!"

I heard the screeching of metal as Machina Fortress made its way into the picture. "Now, Machina Gearframe! Attack Armageddon Knight!"

Armageddon Knight vanished in a puff of smoke, and Kage took the difference, 400 points, in damage. "Machina Fortress! Go in for a direct attack!"

Kage's duel runner shifted dangerously as he took the full brunt of 2500 points, but he didn't back down. "I place one card facedown and end my turn!"

Kage drew. "I activate the trap card Graceful Revival! Thanks to this card, Armageddon Knight is coming back for another round! Now, I tribute Armageddon Knight to summon Caius, The Shadow Monarch!

"Thanks to this card's affect, I can banish one monster on your field to the Graveyard! I choose Machina Fortress!"

Machina Fortress disappeared... "Now, Caius the Shadow Monarch, attack Machina Gearframe!"

I winced as I took the 600 points in damage. It wasn't too brutal, but it was enough to kick me into high gear!

"I draw, and summon Cyber Dragon from my hand! If my opponent has a monster in their field and I don't, I can special summon him from my hand! Now I activate Machina Fortress' special ability; by discarding a Machine-type monster from my hand, I can bring him back onto the field!

"Then I summon Machina Sniper from my hand! When he's on my field, I can also summon another Machine-type monster from my hand except for Machina Sniper! I summon Machina Defender in Attack mode!"

Everything was falling into place... I had all the cards I needed for a quick defeat, but all it would take was one counter trap... But then again, I had already setup my plan B...

"Now I activate the spell card, Crush Card Virus! I can take a peek at your hand every next three turns and every single one of your draws! In addition, if you have any monsters in your hand or on your field with 1500 or more attack points, I can send them to the Graveyard! Bye bye, Caius!"

Kage's field was left nearly empty, except for his facedown. "Now, Machina Fortress! In for a direct attack!"

"I activate my facedown, Lightning Vortex! By discarding one card, I can destroy all monsters on your field!"

Kage's face was triumphant; I knew he'd counter with something. "Thanks for revealing your facedown to me!" I laughed. "I activate my face-up spell, Wave-Motion Cannon! You haven't noticed it much, but it's been face up for three of my Standby-phases, which means you take the damage x1000!"

Kage was blasted off his duel runner. I flinched and he was catapulted into the side of the road. I pulled over. "Are you okay?" I chuckled.

"Tch, what do you think?!" he pointed over at his smoking duel runner, which had already looked pretty beaten up before our duel. "My poor duel runner...!"

I chuckled again and helped him up off of the highway. He grumbled to himself and took off his goggles to clean off the debris, revealing eager gray eyes with a mischievous twinkle.

He perched them on top of his head and ran over to his incapacitated duel runner, checking where it's gotten scathed. "Aw, man!" he complained.

"Jeez, you're making me feel bad," I grumbled. "My duel runner's done for!" he groaned. "How am I gonna get a new one...?"

"Well, it's not broken... Beyond repair, at least. All it needs is a tune up."

"You know where I could find a place for that?" he sounded skeptic to trust me.

"Well... I guess I could fix it for you..."

Kage's smirk was in place again. "Can duel and fix duel runners... Well, that's hot."

"Uhhh... No."

"You're sure?" his voice dropped and smoother over. "I am frequently _available_."

"Ha. Don't get your hopes up, pretty boy. I'm hard to please."

"I envy the guy that does."

"Um... Eew."

"Well, I will get that date next time we duel."

"Keep dreaming, Mr. King. I beat you once, I'll beat you again."

"Is that a challenge?"

"If it is, I'm not backing down just yet!"

"You're on, Silver girl!"

Well, it was official. I had a rival.

**Another OC! He has a bigger part in the story later on. Hope you enjoyed! **

**See ya! ;D**

**-Eibon**


	3. Equilibrium

Misery Business

**Hooray for YGO5D'S!**

**Moar chappies. Hope they are liked. :D**

**(I apologize for any little bitty spelling or grammar spots in here, the autocorrect on my iPhone is not at its prime.)**

2: Equilibrium

I hadn't really slept at all last night; I'd been too busy finishing my model of the duel runner. It'd worked, finally! Late last night, I'd taken it out for a test run and it had run perfectly! Finally!  
Up in the main centre of the HQ, Trudge was looking over my hand-written design for it, looking at what I'd done.  
"Hey, where's Mina?" I asked absently, hoping the duel runner would meet his standards.  
"She went out early this morning," he answered, not taking his eyes off of the page. "Did you build it already?"  
"Yeah, it's down in the garage... Do you wanna take a test drive...?"  
He handed the papers back to me. "Why not?"  
Trudge sauntered over to the elevator, and I let out an excited squeak as soon as he was out of earshot. If I got this approved, it would make my list of achievements, which was pretty hard for most of the things I did to get onto.  
Down in the garage, I showed Trudge the duel runner.  
"Looks good on the outside," he said. Then he got in the driver's seat and slipped on the helmet. "Let's see how it looks on the inside."  
I decided I wanted to be there in case anything went wrong, so I followed him out on my own duel runner.  
The sky was a clear, cloudless blue and the wind blowing through my hair. My duel runner casted a silver shine over the road. Days like this were always nice.  
Because of the tweaks I'd made on my own duel runner, it wasn't difficult at all to keep up with Trudge. In fact, he might've been having trouble keeping up with me.  
We stopped around the DAIMON area, and I was quite proud of myself. "Runs nicely, Silvan."  
"Thanks," I said, smiling. "Is it good for Security?"  
"Yeah, I'd say so," he approved.  
"Yay!" I said. "I've accomplished something!"  
Trudge scoffed a little. "Yeah, yeah, yuck it up. Just don't hurt yourself."  
"Shut up," I said, but my tone wasn't acidic at all.  
"Let's head back," Trudge commented. As we were about to roll out, a soda truck came barreling down the road, almost crashing into me.  
"Hey!" I shouted. "That guy just tried to run me off the road!"  
"Let it go, Silvan."  
"But Truuuuddddggggeeeee! I doubt he was even going the speed limit!"  
Trudge rolled his eyes then rode away.  
Grinning to myself, I shifted gears and sped after the truck, intending to give the driver a piece of my mind for trying to kill me.  
I finally caught up with it at a crossroads, where it changed lanes and charged towards the sound.  
I sped up to meet the speed of the front car and shouted, "Hey! You almost ran me off the road!"  
I popped a wheelie to see into the driver's seat, but it turned out, there was no one driving. "Fudge. A. Duck," I grumbled.  
Was there anyone inside? I shifted back and hung behind the truck, wondering if there could be anything in the big long car it was hauling. In those old spy movies I used to watch, usually there was a person in the back who was wanted dead...  
I got up really close to the back of the vehicle, took a breath, and banged on the metal door with my hand. "YO! Anyone in there?"  
A lightheadedness overcame me and my eyes rolled back into my head a little. _You've got to be kidding me_...  
The memory pulled me under, and suddenly I was back in the Satellite, in the subway of all places! Rally, Blitz, Tank, Nervin... And me...?  
I watched myself and everyone else start piecing together a duel runner...

The memory receded, and I felt more confused than breathless. Who was in the back of that truck?  
There was a rev of an engine behind me, and I slowed down a little.  
"Mina!" I shouted. "What are you doing here?"  
"Silvan!" she shouted back. "I could ask you the same thing!"  
"Silvan?" I looked to the left of her.  
"Akiza? Jeez! Long time no see!"  
"What are you doing here?" she shouted, magenta spikes blowing into her eyes.  
"This guy tried to run me off the road!" I said. "And there's no one driving, and there's someone in the back of that truck!"  
"I know!" she said back. "One of my friends is in there!"  
"I got a really weird memory from them a second ago!" I told her. "I was in it, like seriously!"  
Akiza cocked her head to the side. "Well, we can't just stand here! Help me out!"  
Akiza's hand went to her duel disk, and a monster materialized on the top of the car. "Rose Tentacles should do the trick!"  
I shuffled through my turbo deck and slapped down a card. "Machina Soldier, help her out!" My monsters always had this thing about them that made them able to hit real stuff. Unlike normal monsters, which were only displayed in a solid vision system. I still hadn't worked out the answer to it yet.

Akiza's monster and mine were dealing pretty destructive damage to the door, until the truck started swerving to shake them off. Then it occurred to me. "This thing must be like a giant toy car!"

Mina and Akiza probably didn't know what the heck I was talking about, but I  
didn't have time to explain.  
The door finally broke open, and I understood what that memory was about.  
"Yusei?"  
He hung onto the side of the door and as Mina's car got closer, Akiza jumped onto the truck.  
Mina began to lose speed as the truck sped up around a bend, and I shifted gears again and sped up.  
Spinning around so that I was backwards, I sped around the bend after the truck and shouted after Mina. "Hey! I'm going on ahead!"  
I spun around again so I was not facing the back of the truck and slammed on the breaks; the truck barreled off of a cliff side and into the sound, just as Yusei had taken a jump with his duel runner off of the back of the truck and landed safely with Akiza in tow.  
I took off my helmet and ran a hand through my hair. "Why is it that you're always in a life-threatening situation every time we meet?"  
"Silvan? What are you doing here?"  
"I've been around," I said. "What have you been doing?"  
A duel runner engine revved behind us, and an elegant looking runner sped up from behind us.  
"Yusei Fudou!" the rider said in a thick French accent. "I challenge you to a duel!"  
"Looks like catching up is gonna have to wait," I grumbled. When someone challenged Yusei to a duel, you didn't want to stick around. You don't bother a man while he's doing something he loves, do you? I revved my engine. "Kick his butt, Yusei!"  
I took off then to leave him to it, and he'd said something, but I hadn't heard it. Well, on the bright side... Yay! Yusei knew I was here!  
I guess this day was starting to get better already. I wondered where Jack and Crow were...  
Heading back to HQ, I passed someone familiar-looking on the side of the road...  
"Kage!" I said as I pulled up.  
"Yo, Silvan!" he said, and bumped my shoulder. "Sup?"  
"I was just out," I replied. I looked around him at a female duelist who looked to be examining her faulty duel runner. Now that I took a good look at the duel runner and the girl's glossy black hair, it seemed familiar to me... "I hope you haven't been acing any more ace monsters."  
"Nahhh, I just duel for fun now. Except when it's you, then it's for victory!"  
I laughed. "Yeah, keep dreamin'." I finally realized where I'd seen that duel runner! "Raven? Is that you?"  
She turned and violet eyes scanned me, until they finally showed recognition. "Silver! Long time no see!"  
"How've ya been?"  
"Oh, the same," she sighed. "I hate when nothing changes."  
"I know what you mean," I replied. "Oh! Kage, this is my old friend, Ravelin Kido."  
"Just call me Raven," came her standard answer.  
"Raven, this is Kage Tanimaka."  
"Nice to meetcha," he said in a smooth voice, which I recognized.  
I grabbed his shoulder. "Don't EVEN think about it."  
"Weeeell, ya know I had to try."  
I scoffed. "So, what're you doin' here, Raven?"  
"I'm looking for a couple of decent turbo duelists to start a racing team with."  
"What, like for the WRGP?"  
"Yeah, I wanna enter and I need two more people to do it."  
I thought, but it didn't take me much time. "Well, you're in luck!" I slung my arm around Kage's shoulder in a friendly motion. "Ya got yourself a couple of decent turbo duelists right here!"  
"Seriously?"  
"I don't kid about turbo duels!"  
"All right, well, where do we practice?"  
"We can do it at my place," Kage offered. "There's a killer track in my complex."  
"What do we call ourselves?"  
"Sterling!" I said immediately. I'd been thinking about that for a while, since when I'd first considered signing up for the WRGP.  
"What?" in unison.  
"Ya know, like 'Sterling Silver?' It means high-quality."  
"_Team Sterling_," Raven tested it out. "It sounds cool..."  
"It makes sense," Kage offered. "I like it!"  
"Okay, then," Raven agreed. "I guess we're Team Sterling!"

I was working late into the night that night. Given the days before I'd stayed up, I was pretty tired.  
I wasn't particularly surprised when a dizzy feeling spread over me... But it wasn't for the reason I'd thought.  
The scene collapsed before my eyes, and I found myself in an office of a large house. There was a little girl, small and blonde with huge emerald eyes, sitting on her father's lap and laughing. He was speaking a foreign language to her, and she was giggling happily.  
From the smooth, flowing way that he spoke, I guessed that they were French. The man handed her a teddy bear and she hugged it tightly, laughing and most likely thanking him in French.  
Then the scene dissolved, and I found myself limp and lightheaded on the floor of the garage. Not again...  
"Excusé moi," a smooth voice, dripping in a French accent, said. "Are you Silvan?"  
Alerted, I jumped up and stumbled, running into a cart full of scrap metal. It was that girl again, all grown up. Long blonde hair and untidy bangs, sharp emerald eyes.  
"That depends on who's asking," I said cautiously, trying to mask my tiredness.  
"My name is Sherry LeBlanc. I am 'ere on behalf of a team for ze World Racing Grand Prix. I plan on making a team, and according to ze people in zis area, you are quite a good mechanic and turbo duelist."  
"You're asking me to join your team for the WRGP...?"  
"Oui."  
"...You don't even know me."  
"I do not know Yusei Fudou either, and I have asked 'im."  
Yusei? What?  
"Why?" my answer was rushed.  
"'e is a skilled turbo duelist, but 'e has declined my offer. Zerefore, I am looking for anyone who is at 'is level."  
Uhhh... I'm not even close to being as good a turbo duelist as Yusei. Nuh uh.  
"I think you're making a mistake," I said. "I'm not as good as Yusei at turbo dueling."  
"I think ozerwise."  
"Yeahhh, well, thanks for the offer, but I've already got a team..." if Yusei steered clear of this woman, I might as well do the same. It always does me good to listen to him.  
"'ave it your way."  
Then Sherry was gone, traipsing out the door.  
Wait... How did she even get in here? You need the key from Trudge, and you can only otherwise open it from the inside... What time was it again?  
Weird. I didn't sense anything from her... The turbo duelist who challenged Yusei that first time I saw him sounded French...  
Tripped out, I shook the thought from my head and stumbled to bed. It never happened!

I pulled up to the address Kage had given me.  
Did he really live in the Tops?  
Shifting forward to the guard at the gate, I pulled up the windbreaker on my helmet. "Umm... I'm here to see Kage Tanimaka, please?"  
"Could I see some ID?"  
Shuffling, I found my duel runner license and my Sector Security ID badge. He took both and closely scrutinized each.  
When he was done examining me and my licenses, he handed them back to me and swept me forward. "Have a nice day."  
Something told me that that guy hated his job.  
I revved my engine and sped up the in-climb, pulling around to the apartment number scribbled on the scrap of paper in my closed fist.  
It wasn't too hard to find, especially as Kage was waiting out front for me. Raven was sprawled out on the deck in the sun.  
I slid off my helmet. "I've never known Ravens to like daylight," I commented.  
"This Raven needs a tan," she replied.  
"Good luck with that," I scoffed. "Nice place, Kage. Wish I had it this good..."  
"Well, ya know, when ya got rich parents..."  
"Yeah..."  
There was a long moment of awkward silence. I counted fifteen of my own heartbeats.  
"Well," Kage said to break the silence. "Let's head over to the track, shall we?"  
Raven hopped eagerly onto her duel runner and sped after Kage, in which I let up until we reached the course, where I sped in front of Kage and around the track once just to show off.  
"Show-off," Raven muttered.  
Playfully, I stuck my tongue out at her. "We should just get on with it. Let's take a few laps, and depending on how your rides run, I could tinker with them...?"  
"Sounds like a plan," Raven replied, wrinkling her nose. "Ol' Jet Wing's running like she's got gravel in her flight feathers."  
"Let's test it out then," I said. "I'll give you a ten-second head start."  
Raven gave me the thumbs-up and sped forward, rounding the first curve of the track. I turned to Kage. "Mark my front wheel?"  
He stuck out his foot and bordered my wheel.  
Slowly, dragging, I counted to ten. Raven was halfway around the track when I punched the ignition, and she'd barely passed the 3/4ths mark when I'd passed her. I crossed the checkpoint a few moments before her, and my front wheel tapped the toe of Kage's boot as I stopped.  
Raven coughed, not meeting my eyes. "Can you do that to my runner, please?"  
I laughed. "I'll see Kage's damage first. Then I'll show you how it's done." I turned and met his opiate eyes through tinted goggles. "I'll tell you in advance what I'm doing. I'm gonna keep the same pace and keep completely in sync with you, but I'll still win the race."  
"Thanks for the head's up," he said with a smirk. Kage revved his engine once and shot forward, but I pulled up next to him and kept on his same wavelength. Every time he swerved, my duel runner swerved with him.  
After rounding the last bend in the road, he swerved one way and I swerved the same, taking the identical motion but pulling ahead of him in the last few feet of track.  
I stopped beside Raven, and Kage huffed. "You ARE a show-off."  
I shrugged. "Guilty. U mad, bro?" the silence betrayed me, so I coughed and continued. "Your duel runners run fine, but I think they could run better. Mind if I take a glance under the hood?"  
"Sure."  
"Go nuts."  
Like a crazy person, I kept a set of tools where I kept my spare tire. Digging out my wrench, Raven popped Jet Wing's hood and I looked over everything closely. Her duel runner was as well-put-together as the last time I fixed it up, and I did like working on her duel runner anyway. I'd always liked Pearson's work.  
"Soo... What's our strategy?" I heard Kage ask from the other side of the runner.  
"Well," I offered from behind the wheel. "Kage, you have a Dark deck that relies on beatstick monsters and loaded tributes, and the occasional trap or spell to wiggle you out of trouble...  
"Raven, you have a Harpie Lady deck that has a drawback for your Maximum of 3, but your cards are good at summoning more than one monster per turn and eliminating any counter traps or spells with field spells and continuous traps...  
"I've got a Machina deck that uses smaller level effect monsters to summon higher level ones, and tricky and unexpected traps and spells that put you into a jam that's pretty hard to get out of... We could find a way to intertwine the three of our strategies and come to a bigger, badder beatstick."  
"Well, it depends on everyone else's strategies."  
"I've already got Yusei's strategy locked up," I said while splicing a pair of wires together. "But I can never beat him in a turbo duel, anyway. I guess we'll just have to watch the other rounds and write it up as we go along."  
"Hey, it looks like we're being watched," Kage said cautiously.  
"Yeah?" I said, but I couldn't look up at the moment because I was afraid of losing my train of thought.  
"A bunch of 'em," he continued. "They're comin' this way..."  
"Let them," I replied, not taking my eyes off of my work. Red goes to blue goes to green...  
"What are you working on?"  
Immediately, I recognized the voice, but I decided to milk it a little longer. "I'm adjusting the core momentum processor to heighten the way the CPU crunches loggerisms... I can't talk now, or else I'll lose my train of thought and I'll get to blame you."  
"Wow, that was a lot of big words."  
I rolled my eyes behind the hood. "I could use a lot more and you'd still know them all, Yusei."  
I made sure I wasn't forgetting anything, and looked up; not just Yusei, but Crow, Jack, Akiza, and a pair of nearly identical twins with turquoise hair pulled back into ponytails.  
"Nice of you to leave without telling me where to look for you," he retorted.  
"Nice of you to follow me around until you found me," I countered.  
"Actually, Luna and Leo live here." the pair of twins were looking at me curiously, until the boy spoke up.  
"Hey, are you Yusei's friend?"  
I laughed a little. "More like old, forgotten roommate."  
Loud, dragging protests could be heard from Yusei, Crow, and Jack.  
I laughed again. "Okay, okay, just kidding. Jeez. Yeah, we're old friends." I smiled up at Crow and Jack.  
"I'm Leo!" the boy said. "Wanna duel me?"  
"Leo!" his sister protested.  
"What?"  
"I'm Luna," Leo's sister said. "Nice to meet you."  
I reached out to shake her hand, and my muscles went rigid as a lightheaded feeling spread over me. Before my vision changed, I saw Luna's eyes empty as she was sucked in with me.  
I was suddenly in a winding forest thick with trees, vines, leaves, and an air of magic. A tingly feeling washed over me as I started walking, waiting for this vision to end. Then I came through to a clearing, where a rocky quarry inlaid with shadows stretched out before my eyes.  
The only spots of color there were Luna, whose back was turned, and a sprawling blue dragon with jeweled wings. Just looking at it seemed to stir something inside me.  
"You've done well, Luna," the dragon said in a sweet female voice. "However, although the Spirit World has been saved, your world remains in danger."  
"Ancient Fairy Dragon, what should I do?"  
"You have your mark for a reason, Luna. I trust that when the time comes, you will know what to do."  
Luna was letting the scene run through my mind, partly because she didn't know how to force me out like Akiza had.  
It occurred to me that Luna was a lot more than what she looked. The power she had was overwhelming, and had almost the same affect as Trudge's memory had on me.  
My vision cleared suddenly, and Luna literally fell over, while I sunk to my knees weakly and tried to keep myself from blacking out.  
Weakly, I heard the voices of my friends, new and old, calling out to me in different ways.  
"Luna! What did you do to my sister?!"  
"Silvan...?"  
"What just happened?"  
I fell over just as someone's arms caught me.

-

"W-Who are you really?"  
Through my consciousness, I heard Luna's voice quivering as she questioned me.  
"I-I'm Silvan," I answered weakly. "T-That's all..."  
I felt a presence leave me, and I sat up suddenly, my vision hazy. I rubbed the corners of my eyes and waited for my vision to clear. My head swam, threatening to pull me back unconscious.  
A hand pushed me back down, and my body immediately shut down almost completely, glad to be unmoving.  
"No moving yet," someone said from my left. "It hasn't been five minutes."  
"Thanks," I told Yusei weakly. I'd forgotten how strict he was about these things.  
"What did you see?" he asked. I'm sure he saw me glancing around him at everyone else. "Don't worry, I already explained it." The only one I'd ever told about my dizzy spells was Yusei.  
"Well, it was Luna," I babbled, trying to recall enough not to fall under again. "and she was talking to a dragon. Fairy Dragon, she called it?"  
"_Ancient_ Fairy Dragon?"  
"Yeah, and the dragon was saying something about worlds being in danger, and some kind of mark..."  
"I thought you just saw your past?"  
"Lately, I've been seeing the pasts of everyone else," I said quickly. "I can't even control it... When I first met Akiza, she got sucked in with me like Luna did. The difference was, Akiza was the one who got me out."  
"Who else has this happened with?"  
"Well, um, you," I started. "When you were in the back of that truck. And Trudge. And someone named Sherry. And a couple other people I didn't know when I got here."  
"So, it happens a lot?"  
"Well, yes and no. I usually just get lightheaded, and it takes a couple seconds to pass. This one was a full-on pass out..."  
"You didn't pass out before..."  
"This is way different than when we were kids, Yusei," I laughed. "It's not like when I get a glassy look in my eye, and then you tell me to sit down for a while. I can tell you right now, I'm going to feel this for days."  
"You might want to go home, then. I don't think your friend will appreciate an unexpected visitor."  
"Ehhh, it's cool," I heard Kage say from a corner. "I can room on the couch."  
"I'm not taking your bed from you," I scoffed. "Besides, I'll be fine..." I wobbled off of the bed and tripped over something, probably my own feet, and Yusei's arm caught me.  
"She can stay with us," Luna piped up in a small voice. I wasn't aware she had woken before me. "We're just down the block, and she won't have to take her duel runner such a long distance in her condition."  
"Umm," I said. "After I just forced a shortened comatose on you? You've got to be joking."  
"Well," she continued. "I don't mind. Leo?"  
Luna's brother didn't seem to trust me much. "I dunno."  
"I'm okay with it," Luna said. "To tell the truth, I had a vision of my own... I think I want to trust you."  
I hesitated. "...I honestly don't want to put you through that again..."  
"It's fine," she assured me. "I promise I'll be okay if it does happen again."  
I sighed. "If you say so." again, I struggled to get up. When I wobbled and fell over again, Yusei again caught me.  
"I think I'll carry you," he said, and it was a little obvious that I didn't have a choice.  
He swung me easily up into his arms, and I was sort of embarrassed that he was treating me like a small child; I'd always made a big deal of matching or trying to rise over whatever he did. But, on the other hand, what are best friends for?  
Really, he acted more like an overprotective elder brother. Like I hadn't had one of those before.  
Stubborn as he was about these things, Yusei was my friend, and even though I'd never said anything about it, I looked up to him. After all, he had been almost everyone in Satellite's role model.  
Subconsciously, I felt myself press closer to him; I was a little surprised when, like a reflex, his arms tightened around me in return.  
I heard myself say, "I missed you."  
I heard him say, "I missed you, too."

**;D LOL I had fun writing this chapter. Especially as it has Yusei in it. He's fun to write for, especially as Silvan's character naturally takes him out of character and into a different attitude... It takes me a bit to figure out how he would keep his personality as normal and still take him a bit out of his comfort zone and into the one where he's overenthusiastic about everything... OOC FTW! :D**

**Thanks for reading! See ya! ;D**

**-Eibon**


	4. Shifting

Misery Business CH. 3:

3: Shifting

The dream was reoccurring, although I hadn't had it in quite a while.

When I was young, I lived in Martha's care with Crow and Yusei. It was a simpler time, and we all had nothing to worry about, but then again, you don't know much when you're ten years old.

"My trap card activates!"

"Aw, what?"

"Now, because of Wave-Motion Cannon's effect, you lose, Crow!"

Crow pouted, and I laughed a little. The duels we'd had when we were younger were fun.

A knock came at the door, and Martha hurried to answer it. I didn't see who was at the door, but my brother Evan did.

Evan was my twin, twelve seconds older than me, with short wavy platinum hair and blue eyes that looked like they'd been chipped out of ice. He was really overprotective of me, and as close to Yusei and Crow as I was. In a funny way, we were two halves of the same person. The characteristics I had, he didn't, and the characteristics he had, I didn't. I'd always thought he was the better half. Evan was so mature, while I was just a child.

Evan got this funny look in his eye and stood up from where he sat beside me. He put his hands on my shoulders. "Stay here."

Confused, I agreed. "Okay..." Evan walked over towards the door where Martha looked very displeased at whoever was speaking to her.  
If I listened hard enough, I could hear what they were saying.

"I'm sorry," Martha was saying with a firm edge. "but all of these children are legally orphaned."

"I'm aware of that," came a smooth reply from the doorway. "I can assure you that I am legally her parent."

From where I sat, I couldn't see the face of the tall man at the door, although I could see his finely tailored suit with the green vest and black gloves; I was too preoccupied to remember his face, although I remembered the russet color that ran through his brown hair.

My brother Evan approached Martha's side and said, "I think you're mistaken. You must be looking for me."

There was a point where I didn't notice Yusei beside me, keeping me from jumping up to see what my brother was doing.

"I'll be right back, Martha," my brother told her. "I think I should have a chat with this gentleman."

The look on our caretaker's face was enough to tell Evan no, but he fought back with a look that told her he would not be moved.

Without closing the door, Evan went with the man outside.

That was the last time I ever saw him.

They say dreams are wishes, fears, and sometimes memories. In a way, my visions have manifested themselves into dreams that I have often. In short, all of them suck. The memories I dream about all seem to be the bad ones from my past.  
I've never stopped thinking about Evan or what happened to him. All I know is that after that day, all trace of him disappeared. It was like he'd never even existed.  
For some reason, after that, Yusei and I just started getting closer and closer. I guess that's really when we became best friends, and when we made that childish pinky promise to always stick together. Well, we haven't broken it yet.  
After Evan disappeared, I began getting my visions. I'd already had a few before I had one in front of Yusei, and he promised never to tell anyone. Although, I can say that he started worrying over me a lot more.  
This dream I get is always one that makes me cry in my sleep.  
Another thing about Evan and me: I was constantly plagued by nightmares, and my feelings were always so extreme. He was mellow, and the bravest person I knew.  
Sure enough, when I woke on Luna and Leo's couch this morning, my cheeks were wet.  
It was around 8 AM when I got off of the couch and stood. My legs were wobbly because I hadn't used them in at least a day, but I was in better condition than before.  
I decided I wanted to ride my duel runner, because it would make me feel better. Outside in the beginning light of day, my duel runner gleamed that silver color.  
I ran my hand over the hood. "Well, Argent... I'm in your capable hands."  
A few swings around the cul-de-sac, and I was feeling better already. The air smelled fresh and the wind played with my hair; I know I've said it many times over, but there's just nothing in the world like riding a duel runner.  
I was suddenly aware of someone outside who was watching me ride. I skidded to a stop next to Luna and pulled off my helmet. "...Good morning."  
"Good morning," she said. "You really like riding your duel runner, don't you?"  
Hesitantly, I gave a short nod.  
"I can tell you're Yusei's friend," Luna murmured. "You two have the same way of dealing with things."  
"Oh, we do?"  
"Yup. He rides around when he's troubled, too."  
"Huh. Guess he's rubbed off on me..."  
"You know, yesterday," she began. "I was a little skeptical of your ability of pulling me into your vision with you. But in that part where I passed out, I had another vision of Ancient Fairy Dragon. She told me that I can trust you, and that you're important for something that's going to happen very soon."  
"I'm not so important," I said. "In fact, I've always been nothing but a supporting character. Even though I try to be as important as possible, I'm just not."  
"You can't control your visions... Right?"  
"No..."  
"Well, have you ever tried?"  
It'd never occurred to me before. "No. I haven't."  
"Why don't you try right now?"  
"On you? No, I couldn't..."  
"Please? I want to see if it works. I've been thinking about this all night."  
I hesitated, but I decided to try.  
Subconsciously, I focused on Luna herself. I tried to imagine something like a door to her mind that I could go through and look at her memories.  
Right away, I was slammed with the ultimate headache. I struggled not to fall over, and instead squeezed my eyes shut and clenched my teeth.  
Pictures rushed into my mind behind closed eyelids. I realized I could slow it down, look through everything, know what anyone knew.  
Looking a little further, I jumped.  
_Did it work...?_  
I could read her mind!  
Opening my eyes, my headache suddenly faded.  
"D-Did it work?"  
"I think it might've!"  
"What did you see?" she pressed.  
"So much, I can't explain it all!" I replied. "I read your mind...!"  
"Wow, that's so amazing! So, you really are psychic?"  
Again, I hesitated. "...Yeah. I think I am."  
Evan would've laughed.

I closed up early tonight, given the WRGP thing going on upstairs. I was kind of required to attend anyways, since Team Sterling had been officially registered as a competing team.  
Kage and Raven were coming, too, so I had planned to meet them upstairs.  
Trying to look as nice as I possibly could, I brushed out my hair until it looked manageable and slipped on my favorite leather riding jacket.  
I took the elevator up, and it looked like everyone was just beginning to get in the swing of things.  
Taking in the luxurious air of things, I looked around me in a wide arc. People were everywhere, taking pictures and mingling, and decor had been hung among the ceiling of the place.  
I took it all in in an instant, having to take a 360 to see it all.  
"Wow," I murmured. Walking forward, I had to squeeze through and around people who threatened to push me over. I took a quick look at the illuminated ceiling, and I actually was thrown to the ground unexpectedly.  
"Oh, gosh! I'm so sorry!" a young lady with long dark hair and swirly glasses heaved me to my feet. "I'm so clumsy..."  
"It's okay," I laughed. "This just hasn't been my week for staying upright."  
"I'm Carly Carmine," she stated matter-of-factly. "journalist! Mind if I hit you up for an interview?"  
"Um... Ok...?"  
"Tell me about your team."  
"Well, uh, I'm Silvan, I'm the last wheeler... I'm meeting my second wheeler Raven and my first wheeler Kage here... We're Team Sterling."  
"Okay, Silvan! Are you and your team worried about the competition you might be facing?"  
"Not particularly," I replied. "I think it serves as some friendly competition, especially with Team Unicorn and Team 5D's."  
"But they're rumored to be the winners of the WRGP. Are you worried about that?"  
"Not really. It'll do me well to study up on the different strategies of the other teams. They could change at any time."  
At that point, I noticed Yusei had spotted me and was walking towards me.  
I waved and said when he got close, "Hey, Yusei."  
"W-Wait!" Carly said quickly. "I still have one more question!"  
"Okay, shoot."  
"What do you think the outcome will be if you're bracketed with Team Unicorn or Team 5D's?"  
"We'll try our best nonetheless," I replied. "But if I do beat Yusei, it'll be something of a miracle." from behind Carly, Yusei gave me a, "not hardly," look, and I laughed.  
"Thanks!" she said, and looked off in another direction. "If you'll excuse me...!"  
"Well, aren't you popular," Yusei said matter-of-factly.  
"No," I laughed. "She knocked me down on accident and then asked for an interview."  
"How are you feeling?" he asked suddenly.  
"Better than before, I guess," I answered. "How are you?"  
"Fine."  
Something about his tone was off. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something was wrong. "What's up? You seem down."  
"It's nothing."  
"Yusei, it's impossible to keep a secret from your bank of secrets. What's wrong?"  
In truth, I kind of was Yusei's bank of secrets. He didn't have many secrets, but when he did, he had trouble keeping them down. I'd always known Yusei to be the kind of person who always felt bad for what he didn't do, or couldn't deal with emotional situations because he always thought logically.  
So, obviously, whenever he had a secret, he couldn't keep it under wraps unless he talked about it with someone. Naturally, that someone was me. I'd been keeping his secrets since our single digits.  
I didn't have to take much effort to persuade him, because a few moments later, he was spilling about everything that'd happened: The Ghost and its power over synchro summons, a monster called Meklord Emperor Wisel, and how he couldn't figure out how to duel without synchro summoning.  
Well... I dueled without synchros all the time. My strategy only called for it when I was in a jam. But Yusei kind of relied on synchros, especially Stardust Dragon. Without those, he would have to find a whole new way of dueling.  
"Well," I said, not knowing how to answer. "I know you'll figure something out. You're smart. I'd have to think about this for a long while to find a solution. But, you know, if worst comes to worst, you can borrow my deck."  
"This is serious, Silvan. I've been mulling this over for a while."  
"I know, I know. And if you want my help, I'll help. That's what friends are for, right?"  
"Yeah..."  
"Hey, c'mon," I pressed. "Don't be so rough on yourself. It's in the past, it doesn't matter. You seem to dwell on your past way too much."  
"I dunno. That might be my fatal flaw..."  
"If it is, don't worry. I've got your back, and so does everyone else." I looked him in the eye and held up my left wrist, sticking out my pinky in relevance to the promise we'd made when Evan had disappeared.  
A couple seconds passed, and Yusei's gloved hand came up and was now part of this renewal promise. "We're supposed to stick together, remember?"  
"Yeah, I guess you're right."  
"When am I not?"  
He smirked a little, and a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I'd successfully cheered him up! YES!  
Expanding my mind a little to test it out, I imagined that same door to Yusei's mind I'd imagined in Luna's. I gritted my teeth behind my lips to help keep a straight face; in an instant, his memories flashed past my eyes. Looking a little further, I found his present mind.  
_Good ol' Silvan..._  
In the back of my mind, I laughed. _Don't I know it._  
Releasing the pressure on myself, I glanced around him. "Looks like we're being watched."  
He turned a little to see behind him. Jack, in a really ridiculous hat, Crow, Akiza, Leo, and Luna loitered. By the looks on my old friends' faces, I had a feeling Jack and Crow had kept the others from interrupting us. Silently, I thanked them.  
The look on Akiza's face troubled me.  
"Hey, Silvan!"  
My head snapped the other direction, and I saw Raven wave at me from afar.  
I gave Yusei a cheerful smile. "You'll figure something out, don't worry." I touched his shoulder reassuringly and waved over my shoulder as I stole over to the rest of my team.  
He'd looked after me when I'd gone, and I couldn't help but worry for his state of mind.  
"Hey, Raven," I said happily as I approached her.  
"Sup?" she replied. "What were you chatting with Yusei about?"  
"Eh, just catching up. For old time's sake."  
"Yeah? I need to find time to catch up with Crow... You know what they say!"  
"Birds of a feather flock together, I know, I know," I laughed. "I've got your hokey catchphrase memorized."  
"Just checking!"  
"Where'd Kage go?" I asked tentatively.  
Raven took a 360. "He was here a second ago..."  
Looking over heads, I saw a flash of familiar gray-blue spikes. "There!"  
Raven and I weaved around people and towards where I'd seen Kage.  
"Hey, Kage!" Raven called.  
He turned his head and waved at us from where he'd been talking to a trio of tall, well-muscled men; one with dark hair, one with really spikey reddish hair, and one with shoulder-length blonde hair.  
"Hey!" I said, recognition showing. "You guys are Team Unicorn!"  
The guy with the reddish, outrageously spikey hair looked my way and smiled. "That's right. I'm Andre, and this is Breo and Jean."  
Breo, with the blonde hair, smiled at me in return. Jean gave me a small nod, but also smirked a little.  
"What do they call you?"  
"I'm Silvan, it's an honor to meet you all."  
"The pleasure is ours," Breo stated. "It's not every day we get to meet someone so fetching."  
For some odd reason, I blushed. "O-Oh, w-well, thanks!"  
Andre laughed smoothly. "Take it down a notch, Breo, you're making the poor girl nervous."  
Deciding to change the subject, I pulled Kage and Raven to my sides. "These are my teammates... Kage and Raven."  
"Nice to meet you," Raven said. "I've heard a lot about the infamous Team Unicorn. I think we're all looking forward to going up against you!"  
"Ha, good luck with that," Jean muttered, but I don't think he knew I heard.  
"And you've already met me," Kage said. "but I don't think I'm very memorable."  
"Nonsense," Breo said. "The three of you are one of a kind. I do really look forward to competing against you."  
"Thanks," I said.  
There was a rumbling, and some assorted screams as a window broke open.  
"Uh-oh," I said. I glanced over at Kage and Raven, and decided it was time to go. "I-It was nice meeting you!" I shouted over my shoulder to Andre.  
"Likewise!" came the answer as the three of us ran in the other direction.  
Some really huge tank-looking duel runner had smashed into the glass, and it looked like Akiza was fighting it off with Black Rose Dragon; the dragon's tail sent the duel runner and its rider flying back out the window.  
Again, I felt a shock of headache. Akiza's power was so blatantly existent in the room, it made me start to feel sick. I heaved out my own presence in a bubble around me, trying to ward off the essence that still had a spot in the room.  
The world around me started to melt as I locked myself inside my own mind, and I forced myself to stay on my feet. I wasn't going to be such a pushover about this, so help me, I'd get through and I'd control myself.  
Eventually, my vision cleared up and I could see around me again. Not even a second had passed in reality. It was as if the battle that raged inside me had never happened. I felt extremely proud of myself.  
"Akiza!" I called, and she turned my way. "What happened?"  
"Someone decided to crash the party," Akiza explained. I noticed her red dress and long gloves... Maybe I should've dressed nicer for the occasion?  
"Well, looks like you took care of it," I said with a smile. Her expression from earlier still haunted me, and I didn't have the heart to check what she was thinking in case she could detect me like before.  
"Yeah, I guess."  
Suddenly, Kage came up next to me. "Who's your friend, Silvan?"  
I shot him an easily pointed glare, but he ignored me. "This is Akiza."  
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Akiza. I'm Kage."  
I rolled my eyes at his overly-suave tone, then noticed that Akiza was blushing wildly.  
"I'm so sorry about him," I told her, pushing Kage in the other direction.  
Akiza blinked a couple times, her face still red, and turned her head as Yusei and everyone else ran past. She followed them the other way, and Raven came up behind me, dragging Kage by the ear. "Should we follow them?"  
"I dunno," I replied scathingly. "Kage might start hitting on Luna next."  
"I'm not into perversion," he protested.  
"Akiza?" I suggested.  
"She was hot!"  
I was going to say something to knock on his self-esteem, but Raven hit him in the back of the head for me.  
I decided to take off towards where everyone else had gone, Raven and Kage trailing not far behind.  
By the time we made it down to the bay parking, Yusei had gone.  
"Hey!" I shouted to Jack, who turned quickly. "What's going on?"  
"Some duelist showed up and decided to challenge Yusei to a duel. Told him he had some sort of 'Synchro Solution'," he replied. "You know Yusei, doesn't take no for an answer."  
"Synchro Solution?" was this what he had been confiding in me earlier?  
"Well, what are we waiting for?" I scoffed, running ahead of everyone. "Oh, and Jack?"  
"What?"  
"Awesome hat."  
"Thank you."  
I followed Jack and Crow upstairs to a balcony, where I saw the Yusei Go speeding down the highway, in hot pursuit of a unique-looking duel runner that even looked hard to build.  
From here, I could see the struggle on Yusei's face; he was struggling to keep up with this mystery duelist, which wasn't his norm. I sometimes had to struggle to keep up with Yusei, which meant this guy was the real deal.  
There was this weird pressure suddenly, and a green light flashed brightly from the highway below.  
I expanded my mind a little. From here, I could detect Yusei's confusion, the mystery duelist's focus, and I could even hear the skid of tires across the highway.  
Suddenly, I was forced back to reality by the fact that the mystery duelist had suddenly disappeared. _What_?  
There was another flash moments later, and the duelist was back, with a huge monster skidding in its wake.  
The part of my mind that remained anchored to the road that was miles below us heard the words, "Accel Synchro."  
"Accel Synchro?" what did that mean?

I pulled up to the square and slipped off my helmet; my hair tumbled down my back and I shook it out. It was pretty warm today.  
I hoped this was the right place... I wasn't often bad with directions, but this was one of those times where I wasn't too sure of myself. Paranoia. You know. All in a day's work for this girl.  
I slipped off of my duel runner, lugging my cardboard box full of scrap, and walked towards the biggest building with the grandfather clock mounted on the roof.  
"Hello?" I asked in a low voice through the door. "I'm looking for Yusei...?"  
A lady walked into the room I was looking into; she had dark, grayish hair pulled into a neat bun and brown eyes partially hidden behind gold-rimmed glasses. She was the kind of woman who reminded me a little of a strict librarian or a Martha-ish caretaker.  
"Who are you?" she asked pointedly as I'd walked fully into the doorway.  
"U-Um," I stuttered, taken aback by her shrewd tone. "I'm Silvan... I'm Yusei's friend...?"  
"Oh, you're Yusei's friend?" her tone suddenly softened, and I guessed that Yusei had another fan. "Aren't you lovely!"  
"Ummmm... Thank you...?"  
She waved a hand for me to follow her, and she traipsed outside with me on her tail, towards a building across the way.  
Down the stairway, she called, "Yusei, there's a pretty young lady here to see you!"  
Blushing as I followed her down a stairwell, I kind of hid my face.  
Peeking around the woman, I saw Yusei blushing as well. Unusual for him.  
"Is she your girlfriend?" the woman asked.  
"No!" we both said at the same time.  
"Nooooo, we're just, ya know, old friends!" I said quickly, ignoring the fact that I was probably blushing harder.  
Crow, who was on the upper floor, was snickering to himself.  
I pointed up at him. "NOT helping!"  
"Well," the lady continued. "I'll just leave you alone..."  
When she was gone, I glanced at Yusei, who was still as red in the face as I was.  
"Umm," I said. "Interesting friend you've got there..."  
He coughed. "Yeahhh..."  
"Let's pretend that never happened."  
"Deal."  
"Anyway!" I said. "I heard from Trudge that Akiza's going for her turbo duel license!"  
I finally noticed Akiza, who'd been sitting across the room the whole time. Again, I remembered that haunting look from a few days ago.  
"I brought some extra parts from HQ," I said. "I thought it might be useful in building her duel runner."  
I handed the box to Yusei, who took it across the room towards a newly-built duel runner that had been painted a reddish color. "Thanks," he said.  
"I wanted to help, ya know, cuz we're all friends here!"  
"Yeah, some more than others," Crow laughed, making a joking face at me.  
I narrowed my eyes. "Hey, Crow. Someone likes you, too!"  
"Yeah? Who?"  
"My fist! And it can't wait to take you out!"  
"You wouldn't."  
In an instant, I kicked his feet out from under him and was looking down on him. "I think we both know, I would."  
"I think I'll shut up now."  
"Good choice."  
Jack came in from upstairs and glanced at me standing over Crow. "Hey, Silvan. What did Crow do?"  
"He made a stupid joke."  
"Ah."  
"So," I continued. "How can I help?"  
"Well, we still have to teach her the basics."  
"My duel runner's outside, I'll bet I could help out with that." I didn't want to seem pushy, because I was really just trying to be helpful.  
"Why not?" Yusei glanced at Akiza. "C'mon, Silvan and I can show you the ropes."  
Akiza stood up and crossed to us; she was wearing a riding suit that was around the same pattern as mine, but less revealing. I hopped up the stairs again and outside to my duel runner, while Yusei got his and Akiza's upstairs.  
"What's her model?" I asked once the duel runner was upstairs.  
"I put it together from parts we had lying around," he explained. "Pretty much scavenged, half-broken stuff. DWE-L100 engine, I tweaked it a little so it'd run better."  
"What about the CPU?"  
"KPC-200, but I was thinking of upgrading it as soon as she gets the hang of it.  
"Sounds like a plan. Does it have a balancer?"  
"Not that I could find."  
"I think I brought one, but I'll wait and see how this one handles."  
Yusei put on his helmet; I copied him, and Akiza put her helmet on as well. "Okay, Akiza. Let's start with how you ride. It's pretty simple..." he put one foot on the accelerator and used the other as a kickstand, and both hands on the handlebars. "The accelerator is the left pedal, the break is the right."  
My duel runner was different than Yusei's, but I made it work; one foot on the accelerator, one on the ground, and both hands on the handlebars.  
I watched tentatively as Akiza copied Yusei after me, and Yusei tapped the pedal lightly to make the engine rev. I revved my engine twice.  
"Start with going forward," he said. "To shift gears, you just twist the left handlebar. Half turn right is reverse, quarter turn is neutral, and full turn is drive. You just hold down the break to park. Some duel runners have more gears, but I think we should just start with the basics."  
"Should we head over to the DAIMON track?" I asked.  
"Yeah, but let's take it slow."  
I shifted into forward first gear and shifted forward a little, the tip of my boot skimming the hard street.  
I watched Akiza, tentatively, shift gears on her duel runner and tap the pedal, letting out a nervous squeak as the bike inched forward.  
"That's it," Yusei encouraged. "Keep going, you're doing great. Keep your foot on the pedal and gradually speed up... Ease into the turns and shift your body in the direction you want to go."  
Eventually, Yusei had coaxed her into following him at a slow pace, with me taking up the rear. I was ready to stop in case she stopped abruptly; I remembered when I had gone out for the first time, how nervous I'd been. But I hadn't had an awesome teacher like Yusei, so it was a little different than Akiza's current endeavor.  
Towards DAIMON, the public track for racing had barely anyone there, so I figured we would have a lot of space for practicing.  
"That was good," Yusei said when we arrived. "Not too shabby, Akiza." he looked over at me. "Silvan, let's take a lap around the track to show Akiza how."  
He punched the gas and I shot after him, keeping my eyes on the back of his D-Wheel. I knew this wasn't a time to show-off, just show Akiza how to ride, but I figured she might need reference to a race.  
I sped up and moved to maneuver around him, but he let up and let me circle around him before inching ahead again. We met the first turn and I swung it easily, matching Yusei's speed and keeping up with him easily.  
It felt nice to be racing with Yusei again, just like old times. Nothing like a little friendly competition between old friends, eh?  
I pulled to a stop at the same time he did, and it looked like this race had ended as a tie. Most of our races ended with him winning or a tie.  
Akiza looked at us in awe, probably wondering how she could pull a full-on race off.  
"You think you could try a once around the track?"  
"I'll try," she sighed.  
Akiza punched the pedal a little farther this time and the duel runner shot forward. With determination, Akiza rounded the first turn in the track, but something went wrong, because the fuel runner slid out from under her and she tumbled in the other direction.  
She'd taken a too-tight turn...  
*Sigh* Well, this should be fun.

Early this morning, at like 3 AM, I was woken by a shuffling noise and the tapping of keys.  
Rolling over on the couch I slept on in the corner of the room, I noticed a little light emitting from where my duel runner was.  
Now, I saw a shadow of a person there too. Mind you, when you're a serious mechanic and as much of an obsessive nut over your duel runner as I am, your first thought is, "Holy crap, what's going on?!"  
I jumped up off of the couch, but a strange wave if vertigo hit me and I fell over again, into something made of metal that made a loud clanging noise as soon as I came in contact with it.  
"Owwww," I moaned.  
The person suddenly ran over to me to help me up. "Oh, hey, are you all right?"  
I looked up into grey eyes and warm hands heaved me to my feet.  
"I-I'm fine," I stuttered. Then I remembered that this guy had been tampering with my duel runner. "What are you doing in here? And what were you doing to my duel runner?"  
"W-Well, I was j-just... I didn't do anything bad!"  
"What did you do?" I asked warily. "And, um, who are you?"  
"I-I'm Bruno," he answered. "A-At least, I think so..."  
I navigated around him and down to my duel runner, examining the open panel that was staring at me. Checking the wires and circuitry that'd been played with, I found the parts that'd been played with.  
"A-All I did was adjust the CPU's processing-"  
"To increase the maximum speed by programming it to release more power to the brain," I finished. "That's a really small job. You must have a really steady hand."  
"T-Thanks..."  
In the light of the duel screen in the driver's seat, I could look at Bruno and deduce that he wasn't such a threat.  
Bruno was of medium height and stature, probably a foot or something taller than me, with messy ocean-colored hair that flopped into those gray eyes I'd seen earlier. Bruno was actually kind of attractive.  
I could also see him blushing lightly in the dim light, and realized that all I was wearing on top was a strapless bra...  
"U-Um," I stuttered, trying to find something to say. "I'm Silvan. It's nice to meet you, Bruno. Sorry for freaking out on you earlier."  
"It's ok," he said. "I'm probably not supposed to be down here..."  
"Well, you seem like a pretty talented mechanic. I think you're right where you're supposed to be."  
"Well, Officer Trudge told me I should just stay in the building while he searched for my information or something..."  
Hm. He didn't _look_ like a criminal... "What are you here for?"  
"Well, I woke up on the beach a few hours ago... All I remember is my name, and that I'm good with tools... Sector Security found me and took me here so they could try and find out who I am..."  
An amnesiac, huh? "Well, I'm sure you'll find out soon. Hopefully, the damage isn't TOO bad. While you're here, let's go back up to Trudge."  
"That seems like a good idea..."  
I wondered how he'd got inside. Unless he'd picked the lock or something... I get locked down here every night for my own safety.  
When I tried the doorknob, it was unlocked all right.  
Bruno and I took the elevator up, and it was awkwardly quiet between to two of us; I noticed he was still blushing.  
Damn... I should've grabbed my jacket or something.  
Up in the main hub of HQ, Trudge was watching an analyst scroll through the records of New Domino City and Satellite's inhabitants, looking displeased.  
Mina looked up from a clipboard at us walking in from the elevator.  
"Bruno!" she said scoldingly. "I told you to stay close!" she glanced at me. "Did he wake you, Silvan?"  
"Yeah, but it's not a big deal," I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "What's his story?"  
"Sector Security found him on the beach," Mina explained. "We're trying to figure out where he came from."  
"Maybe I could help," I offered.  
"If worst comes to worst, we'll call for you," Mina answered, sounding stressed.  
I figured I should try to stay out of her way...  
"So, Bruno," I said. "Is that all you know about yourself?"  
"Well, yeah, pretty much..."  
"Mina, I'm borrowing Bruno for a few hours!" I shouted, taking his hand and running back towards the elevator.  
"W-Wait, where are we going?!"  
"Back down to the garage. Let's go try and unlock some of your memories!"  
After a moment, Bruno gave a timid smile. "Okay..."

I'd gotten a weird call from Crow the other day...  
He kept trailing off in places and cutting himself off. He didn't even finish the message.  
I eventually got slightly worried about him and the rest of the guys, since I hadn't heard much from them in the past few days at all.  
So I pulled up to their apartment, avoiding Yusei's rather, um, _erratic_ landlord. I knocked quietly on the already open door before looking in, and seeing that no one was downstairs, I slipped through the apartment and up the stairs, to where Jack and Crow were sitting on the couch.  
Crow looked disheartened, which was unusual for him, whereas Jack always looked displeased. I noticed Leo, Luna, and Akiza also there.  
"What's going on?" I asked.  
"Yusei decided to pick up a stray," Jack grumbled, gesturing across the room to where Yusei was speaking with... Bruno...?  
"They've been ignoring us for days and speaking their own language; it's like they're bestest friends or something," Crow sighed.  
"But _I'm_ Yusei's bestest friend!" Leo said.  
"Um, yeah, ok," Luna protested. "What makes you his bestest friend?"  
"I just am!"  
Akiza scoffed. "I'm taking off. I'm not up for sitting around here and getting in the way."  
I rolled my eyes, hands on hips.  
"Well," Jack scoffed. "it looks like Yusei's got a couple of jealous girls on his hands."  
Akiza shot Jack a dirty look. "Never forget that I could squash you like a grape if I wanted to."  
"Oh, please, Jack," I laughed sourly. "You're the one sitting all alone with your arms crossed, glaring at nothing, with no idea what they're saying. And it's just Bruno, what do I have to be jealous of?"  
Crow looked up. "You know this guy?"  
"Duh, he spent a bit at HQ. You don't let loose a super genius without telling him where a garage is." I flipped my bangs out of my eyes. "And, by the way, they're talking about the physics of planetary gears and their effect on the acceleration of a duel runner. Stick that in your ramen and _suck it_!"  
There was a sudden thump as something landed on the concrete floor. I turned around; Bruno was sprawled on the floor, and I giggled at his very obvious blush. "U-Uh, S-Silvan!"  
"Hey Bruno, how's the amnesia?" I asked casually, traipsing over to look down at him in amusement.  
"U-Uh, it's better..."  
"Hey, Bruno?"  
"W-What?"  
"Why did you just fall on the floor?"  
He blushed again and scrambled to his feet. "I-I don't know..."  
I cracked a smile. Somehow, Bruno always made me giggle. "C'mon, Genius Boy! I'd think you'd have a better sense of equilibrium!"  
"N-Not exactly..." the look in his eye said, "At least when I'm around you."  
For some odd reason, I blushed. "You'd probably find a way to fix it on your own..."  
I glanced over at Yusei. For a second, I was taken by surprise. He looked genuinely... well, pissed off. It took me a second to figure out that he didn't like that I was ignoring him. Truthfully, I'd never seen Yusei get jealous before; it was a triumphant feeling. "Hey, Yusei."  
He turned to me and smiled a little. "Hey, Silvan. How's it going?" that sour attitude never faded, he was just hiding it really well.  
"Oh, you know... The usual."  
"Too quiet?"  
"Eh, isn't it always?" I chuckled.  
"You guys know each other?" Bruno asked sheepishly.  
Feeling like I had to break the barrier, I stuck out my pinky and Yusei's bad mood seemed to vanish as he hooked his own little finger around mine. "Yeah, since forever," I told him. "So, you guys need any help building this program? Overhearing your chat through the guys' banter, sounds pretty intricate."  
Yusei glanced at Bruno and shrugged. "Why not? Might cut down the time."  
"O-Oh, y-yeah, of course," Bruno stuttered. "That's always better..."

Five and a half hours staring at a computer screen is not good for your health. I swear, after I finally tore my eyes away from the thing for being finished, I was still seeing codes flash past my eyes.  
"Finished," I sighed finally, running at the corners of my eyes. "I think I need new corneas."  
Yusei, who'd also just finished, laughed lightly.  
"Well, since it's been about three days until we've slept," Bruno sighed, also finished. "I think I'm gonna go crash into a pillow now."  
"Silvan, there's a couch upstairs..." Yusei suggested.  
"Eh, it's cool. Bruno can have the couch. Concrete is just as comfy."  
He opened his mouth to protest, but I gave him a sharp look.  
"We should install the program tomorrow," Bruno suggested, yawning.  
We all got up to go to bed, and I'm pretty sure I was asleep before I'd even laid down.


	5. Unrequited

Misery Business

**This chapter is dedicated to my (tall) friend Kevin, who put a fake spider in my hair this afternoon. :D**

**I love him anyway. XDD**

**LOLOL**

**But seriously. Next chapter. Here it is. Enjoy!**

Chapter 4: Unrequited

I loved the big tree out in front of Martha's little house. It gave me shade on hot days like this, and a peaceful place to rest.  
Another thing about hot days, they made me feel tired and lazy. I sat under this big tree on hot days because I couldn't stand being inside where it was loud and messy and disruptive. I liked being where it was quiet and where it was just me. Of course, I did make exceptions for...  
"Hey, you."  
I looked up, and Yusei leaned against the trunk of the tree, looking down at me with those enormous blue eyes of his.  
"Hey," I said. "Where'd you come from?"  
"Inside," he told me. "We were gonna go street dueling later. Wanna come?"  
"Eh... Not really," I replied, laying back against the trunk of the tree. "It's too hot to do anything."  
"Aw, c'mon," he said, heaving me to my feet. "Don't let that getcha down! Have some fun once in a while!"  
"Hey!" I protested. "I have fun!"  
"Yeah? When?"  
"All the time!" I argued. "I just wanna sit here and do nothing today, it's too hot..."  
I tugged at his grip on my wrist, trying to make him let me go.  
"Don't be such a downer, Silvan," Yusei complained. "I promise it'll be fun."  
"Noooo," I grumbled, pulling back. Then I pushed him in the other direction, struggling to make him move even a little. "Go that way..."  
Suddenly he was leaning back on me, his weight burdening me. "Ughh, gravity is increasing on me...!"  
"Wha... Yusei! Get off!"  
I fell over then, and Yusei was laying across my back.  
"Did you change your mind yet?" he asked, smirking a little.  
"You're crushing me," I grumbled. "How would that change my decision?"  
"I'll only get off of you if you say you'll come."  
"I'd have to ask Evan," I grumbled.  
"I already did," he told me triumphantly. "Way ahead of you. He just said I have to be your babysitter."  
"Just because you're three months older than me," I protested. "doesn't make you old enough to babysit me."  
"And being _twelve seconds_ does?"  
"Aw, shut up," I grumbled. "Get offa me, you're heavy."  
"No, you're just outta shape!"  
"Just get off, I'll go, okay?!"  
He sprung up quickly, like a cartoon, and smiled brilliantly before holding out a hand to help me up. I took it gratefully and brushed myself off.  
"Race you to the southern heaps!"  
"Yeah, yeah, get ready to eat my dust, Yusei!"  
I ran off towards the B.A.D. Area, in hot pursuit of my best friend.  
The dream changed suddenly, to the scene of the subway. I skipped down the steps with an old box full of salvaged scrap in my arms; I'd just been to the trash heaps in the slums with Rally to help find parts for Yusei's new duel runner.  
"Hey, Yusei!" Rally said, running over from my side to him.  
I set down the box next to the frame of the unfinished duel runner, running a hand through my bangs. "I found some stuff that should help and be good substitutes for whatever you don't have. Nevertheless, most of the junk in there needs some fixing up itself."  
"Every little bit counts," he told me. Then he smiled a little. "Thanks, Silvan."  
"What are friends for?" I replied, smiling back.  
I picked through the box, taking out the things that were most broken. I borrowed from the toolbox Yusei was using and pieced together the broken areas, placing the fixed things at the bottom of the box once I'd put them back into good condition.  
I reached into the toolbox for a wrench, and not looking, grabbed Yusei's arm instead.  
I looked up. "Sorry..." we'd been reaching for something at the same time, and everyone knows, that always ends up AWESOME.  
"It's ok," he murmured, and I realized I'd never seen Yusei blush before.  
A sudden jolt of a feeling ran through me, interrupting my pleasant dream.  
I cracked my eyes open, staring at the darkened ceiling, and rolled over a little, upset that my sleep had been interrupted.  
I tested my weight. I wasn't laying on concrete...  
I rolled over again, and realized I was in a bed.  
I moved my left arm a little, then realized that my hand was tightly intertwined with someone else's. Following the tanned arm that I knew so well, I almost laughed a little.  
So I was sleeping on the bed, Yusei was sleeping on the floor. Clever loophole, my friend.  
I glanced at my hand in his, wondering how that came to be, and deduced quickly that that was how I'd been having such calm dreams. They weren't dreams, they were Yusei's memories.  
Looking down at him now, I can't help but think that he looks so much younger in his sleep. Right now, he could be the boy that dragged me everywhere with him seven years ago.  
Thinking that he probably wasn't too comfortable, I slipped off of the bed and pulled him onto the little mattress, hoping he wouldn't notice the change. Yusei had a record for being a light sleeper.  
I thought I'd pulled my hand loose, but apparently I didn't, because he was still holding it when I tried to move away.  
"You're not sleeping on the floor," he mumbled without opening his eyes, tugging on my hand again.  
"Neither are you," I whispered, rolling my eyes. One thing's for sure, he'd always be hard to persuade.  
Then suddenly, he'd pulled me over him and rolled me onto the half of the bed opposite him, cracking one glowing eye open. "That's called compromise," he murmured. "Look it up."  
Despite the fact that I was blushing, I laughed a little. "Fine, you win..." For some reason, Yusei always made me feel safe. Maybe that was why I let myself stay in the same bed with him.  
I don't know the reason. I can't explain it. Somehow, when it had quieted again, I found myself shifting closer to Yusei, and sometime after my best friend wound his strong arms around me, all I wanted was for him to hold me tighter.  
My dream continued right where it'd left off.

I was aware of shouting suddenly. It broke through my consciousness that'd been deadened by my pleasured daze, and I recognized Jack's familiar yell.  
Yusei's arms were still tight around me and his breathing was slowed, so I knew he was still asleep. He shifted ever so slightly so his nose skimmed the crown of my head and his lips grazed my ear.  
Actually, I was really comfortable. It was cold, and he was warm and I was tired... I didn't want to rouse Yusei and ruin this, but I was really worried about the yelling.  
"Yusei," I murmured, poking at the ragged yellow prison scar tearing down his left cheek. "Yusei."  
It was then that I noticed a strange reddish marking, tribal almost, across his left forearm. It reminded me, conceivably, of the head of some kind of reptile.  
"Hm...?" he blinked a couple times, shifting again. I saw a deep blush spread across his cheeks as he realized that we were in the same bed and his arms were around me. "...S-Sorry..."  
I giggled a little bit. It was a proud achievement to say that I made good ol' stone-cold, indifferent Yusei blush. "It's fine, it's just..." I sat up. "I hear shouting downstairs..."  
It was quiet for a moment while the two of us listened, then he got up quickly and almost sprinted downstairs, me right on his tail.  
I slid down the banister after Yusei had made it downstairs and broken up the fight between Jack and Bruno. "What's going on in here?"  
"The program's gone!" Bruno tried to explain first, but Jack had already grabbed his collar again.  
I delved between the two and physically unhooked Jack's fingers from Bruno's collar, throwing them back at him. "So why are you attacking Bruno?!"  
"That guy stole it, I know it!" Jack exploded.  
"What?! Are you serious?!" I squeaked, my voice rising almost three octaves.  
"Jack," Yusei cut in. "why would he help us make it, then steal it?"  
"So he could take it for himself, isn't it obvious?"  
"Jack, you're an _idiot_," I said, not realizing my hands were still on a blushing Bruno's shoulders. I fast-walked around him and sat down at the center computer, logging up and bringing up the file that'd been mysteriously erased.  
"Did we back it up?" I asked hastily, bringing up Safe Mode.  
"I-I think so..." Bruno stuttered. "It was really late."  
I sighed, scrolling through the files. "No, we didn't. We were all tired and didn't think of it... Whoever took it must've copied the file and then erased it from the system."  
"Aha!"  
I was jolted by Bruno's sudden noise of epiphany. He reached down into the wastebasket next to the table and brought out a cellophane covering that'd been ripped a little.  
"Whoever took it must've decided to treat himself to a cup ramen while he waited for the program to download."  
"What?!" Jack said.  
"Not our key issue," I told him, and waited for Bruno to continue.  
"He must've had trouble with the cellophane and taken off his gloves to open it!"  
"You really are a genius, Bruno!" I said.  
I got up to give Yusei access to the computer; I enjoyed being a genius in a trio of geniuses. It made everything else seem so much simpler.

I probably should've slowed down to let Jack and Crow catch up... Then again, I didn't feel like it. I was still tired from the yelling waking me up really early.  
Racing around, looking high and low for Lazar wasn't what I did on a daily basis.  
Yeah... Lazar had taken our program. Who knows why, we're just gonna get it back. Right now, we'd split up to chase Lazar through a mall. Bruno and Yusei, then Jack, Crow, and me.  
"So," Jack puffed loudly, catching up to me finally. "was sleeping in the same bed as Yusei a one-time thing, or will you be moving in, too?"  
In the same moment, I blushed, scowled, and snapped, "You know, I do have an excuse for that, but I'd rather just remind you of the fact that you and Krystal did the same thing back in Satellite."  
That shut him up. I smirked triumphantly and kept running in the direction of the flapping magenta overcoat in the distance.  
_Didn't know I knew that, huh Jack?_ I thought pointedly.  
Jack had a BFF who was a girl once, too, ya know. Well, less of a BFF. More like a groupie that was too pretty and too opposite of him to ignore. They were pretty attached, too. I was surprised there weren't little Jacks running around already. She did go off the grid when Jack left Satellite... That's understandable. There was a period of time after Yusei left Satellite where I went into depression and seriously considered taking my own life. But I'm better now.  
Still... I wonder what ever happened to her.

More often than not, I thought about the old days in Satellite. I thought about my old commute, day by day with the guys as the Enforcers... Ah, the good old days. The Era of _Satisfaction_.  
There were times that I wished I could go back and do it all again, just relive it and be back when things were simpler but less understated.  
Now and again, I think of the days when Jack was less self-centered and focused only on bettering himself as an individual, when Crow was all play and no work and could really care less about anything but the kids and his duels, when I talked freely and easily with Kalin (without interruption or complication), and when Yusei laughed and smiled every single day. I really missed that.  
I really needed fresh air. When I remembered things like this, I usually got awful migraines. Almost as bad as a vision.  
I decided I wanted to go see Yusei today. I hadn't seen him in almost a week and a half, since that escapade with Lazar, and he barely got out alive. Maybe today's the day I'll get the chance to ask him about that strange mark or tattoo or whatever I'd seen on his arm.  
I pulled up to the apartment, the normal routine, and knocked before I went in.  
"Hey, guys?" I called. "Jack, Crow? Bruno? Yusei?"  
At the sound of his name, Bruno poked his head out from the upstairs bedroom, blushed wildly, and stuttered, "S-Silvan! I didn't know you were coming!"  
"I just thought I'd drop by," I answered. "Where are the guys?"  
"W-Well, Crow and Jack left a while ago to go look for Yusei..."  
"Look for him? Where did he go?"  
Bruno hopped eagerly down the steps and crossed to the desk, picking up a browning sheet of paper with sharp creases.  
I read it quickly; I registered that someone called "Barb" was asking Yusei to come to a place called "Crash Town" because "he" needed Yusei's help...  
"He?" Who was "he?"  
"Hey, Bruno?" I asked quickly. "Do you have a current map of the area?"  
Bruno pulled a book out of a bookcase near the desk, handing it to me.  
I flipped to an atlas of New Domino City; it showed everything from Satellite and beyond.  
Beyond New Domino City was a spacious patch of desert, but nothing was there except for a little dot of a town marked, "Crash."  
"Bruno, I'm going after them," I said. "Be back, ok?"  
"O-Ok," he stuttered.  
I held up the book. "Can I borrow this?"  
"S-Sure..."  
"Thanks, Bruno!" I called over my shoulder, running back outside and hopping on my duel runner.  
I took the beaten path, out to a vast wasteland of nothingness. Desert stretched all around me, and dust kicked up at the front and back of my duel runner.  
It was interesting, really. I'd never been to a desert before, I'd just read about it and seen pictures. I almost crashed once because I was looking off to the side at a cactus.  
It was even hotter out here, too. There wasn't much foliage to produce shade, and the sun beat down on the hot sand, radiating out everywhere.  
I slowed down slightly and tossed off my jacket, tying it around my waist.  
It was easier to go now, with the breeze, however warm, blowing off of my bare shoulders.  
It approached sunset; I'd been riding for a while. On the horizon, I could see a cluster of buildings alight with people in all directions.  
I circled around the flank of the town, taking an alley inside.  
I stopped in the dirt and my head snapped up as something flew over me, and by reflex, I caught it.  
Turning it over in my hand, it looked like a whip.  
I looked up and saw Jack, standing over a dark-haired woman with two children. He scoffed when he saw me.  
Smirking at him, I pulled my helmet off, shook my hair out, and waved the whip in the air. "Instruments of torture, Jack? Shame on you."  
He huffed sarcastically and shook his head as I jumped off of my duel runner. "Don't push your luck."  
"Just a suggestion..." I looked off to the side, where I saw Crow smiling too, and Yusei standing next to a man who looked oddly familiar...  
Suddenly, I recognized his pale eyes, ever-so-slightly tinted green. _Kalin._  
Glancing around, I could only form one clear thought. _The Enforcers are riding again._  
A big man on a menacing looking duel runner suddenly raced off, emanating a menacing aura.  
"Hey, he's getting away!" Kalin said suddenly, taking a few steps forward.  
"Take my duel runner," Yusei suggested, gesturing to his red D-Wheel.  
Kalin hopped onto the seat of the runner and sped off after the man; it was strange seeing anyone else but Yusei driving the duel runner I knew so well.  
"What did I miss?" I asked nonchalantly after he'd gone.  
Yusei hugged me lightly around the waist in greeting, and Crow bumped my shoulder affectionately. I was still getting the cynical treatment from Jack, who must've still been suffering from my earlier swing.  
"How'd you find us out here?" Jack asked.  
I waved the book I'd borrowed in the air. "I dropped by your place, and Bruno said you guys had gone off in search of Yusei," I explained. "I read the note from uh, "Barb," and Bruno let me borrow this to seek you guys out."

"Yeah, Yusei," Jack complained. "Next time you leave without saying anything, you should at least make it easier to find you!"  
We all laughed. It was like what I'd wished for earlier. Today, Jack (however cynical he was being) was less self-absorbed, Crow was joking like he was all play and no work, Yusei was smiling my old favorite smile (the one with the dimple), and when Kalin got back, I told myself I would talk to him for as long as I possibly could.

The sun began to drop farther below the horizon.  
In the alley where I'd parked my duel runner, I shared a nonchalant, friendly conversation with Kalin. We talked about the past, the present, and he'd explained everything from being a Dark Signer to his experiences here in Crash Town. I still hadn't caught onto all the Dark Signer nonsense... It's been mentioned to me before, and I'd made a mental note of it, but it always seemed to slip me. But I made another note and promised myself I'd get on it ASAP.  
I'd said again and again how much I'd missed him, how nothing was the same without him. That earned me a smile that was gentle and hardened: totally _not_ Kalin, although it was sweet and somehow made me feel strange.  
Then suddenly, as I was beginning to ask him about the children called Nico and West that were so attached to him, he took my face in his hands and kissed me.  
I was totally unprepared. Through all the memories I had of Kalin, all the times I'd watched him talk or laugh or frown, you'd think I'd know everything there was to know about his lips. But I'd never thought to imagine how warm they'd feel pressed against mine.  
I think I made some noise in the back of my throat, and I dimly remember my fingers, curled tightly closed, resting on his chest. Then, as quickly as it'd happened, he let go of me and murmured, "I had to do that, just once." then he walked away, off towards that sunset that I had to squint to see through.  
I suddenly found myself slumped on the ground, feeling lightheaded. The sensation didn't hit me until Kalin had gone.  
Had Kalin really just done that? ..._Kissed me?  
_Feeling suddenly self-conscious, I found myself hoping that no one had seen that. Was this how other girls felt?  
I realized that, because I'd made a point that I was not one to be messed with, that was my first kiss. And with _Kalin._  
I'd known he liked me... But that wasn't something I'd expected. I mean, I'd known him for a long time! Almost as long as I'd known Yusei. When we were teens, we were fellow Enforcers, he was my neighbor, we used each other for practice-duel dummies... That was almost as uncomfortable sounding as kissing Yusei.

...Did I just say that? My mind shifted to two weeks ago, when he'd pulled me into bed with him... Was it really that far-fetched?  
I looked up, wobbling as I got to my feet, and tried not to think about this anymore. But that was kind of impossible, since I finally noticed Yusei across the alley from me.

The setting sun, casting a dark glow over the city, threw shadows over the rooftops as well as the both of us-but he was looking up, and I could see his blue eyes directed _straight at me._

**...So, um... Yeah. I had to edit this chapter a lot. I didn't like the original ending, so I changed it! :D**

**There's some KalinxSilvan in this... and slight YuseixSilvan. Bruno is a sweetheart, but I like pairing him with Sherry. Plus, in a relationship with Silvan, I'd feel bad for making him the uke. D:**

**The next chapter is already written... But I am DEFINITELY editing this one up... _Major _YuseixSilvan next one. I have to be delicate with these things, because I'm still trying to avoid OOC Yusei. :P**

**But yes. Thank you for reading. I seriously appreciate the nice reviews that keep showing up in my inbox from, like, only ONE FRIKKIN PERSON. So, thanks :D YOU ARE AWESOME.**

**See ya! ;D**

**-Eibon**


	6. Headstrong

Misery Business

**Yayanotherchaptersoletsgeton withit**

**XD Enjoy**

Chapter 5: Headstrong

I. Am. Tired. As my record of all-nighters go, I've never stayed up this long. Usually, I range from 1-2 days... It's been 5.  
I've been around the city again and again, but nothing seems to make me feel better. I can see the dark circles under my eyes, which just add to my feeling of insomnia.  
Is it possible to be too tired to fall asleep?  
I've decided to play with my duel runner to kill time, because nothing else touches my interest at the moment.  
The reason I can't sleep so well is because of what happened with Kalin. Yeah, I know I tried to forget it. But that look in Yusei's eyes... It brought me full circle, all the way back to the issue.  
Why did Yusei look like that? Had he seen the whole thing? And, more importantly, why did_ I_ care? Why did _he_ care?  
First of all, I'd never been kissed before. Yeah, people hit on me all-the-freakin'-time, but no one had ever kissed me. It was a really strange sensation.  
But I hadn't seen any of the guys since Crash Town, or I guess _Satisfaction Town_, and I feel so paranoid about what had happened. If I was a superhero, my superpower would be paranoia. If Yusei were here and were speaking to me, he might laugh and say something clever about how paranoid I get.

I think I said it before, but Yusei always gets really extreme emotions that he sometimes can't handle on his own, and I'm sorta worried about him.  
I know I shouldn't be, but he makes a big deal over me whenever something happens, I only find it fair to care that much about him in return. That's what friends are for... Right...?  
The ground shook suddenly... An earthquake?  
Suddenly, I was jolted as the power went out. Well, jeez. I was probably going to have to fix that. I rolled out from under the frame of my duel runner and waited for my eyes to adjust to the darkness.  
I shifted around in the shadows, trying to find the door. I should probably go up and find Trudge.  
Finally, I found the doorknob, but when I tried it, it was locked.  
Weird. It could only be digitally locked from the main computer... Which meant that someone had broken into the mainframe.  
I grabbed a wrench and a screwdriver from a shelf nearby and unscrewed the doorknob from the door, pushing it through the other side; the door swung open and I stuck the pieces of the knob onto the cart. I'd fix it later. I had the rest of my life to do it.  
I probably couldn't take the elevator... I took the door to the access stairs, sighing as I remembered I was in the garage at the bottom of HQ, and the mainframe was at least seven floors up. Well... Everyone needs their exercise...  
Huffing as I got to the upper floor, I had to break down the door. Freaking technologically wired building... I made a mental note to yell at Trudge about it later (even though he probably wouldn't listen to me).  
"Ughhh... Not my best idea..." I groaned from where I'd crumpled on the hard ground.  
I wobbled as I got up, the shoulder that I'd charged with throbbing horribly.  
Someone stood, towering over me, and I gulped nervously. He looked like a butler kind of, in that suit and coattail uniform, with short spikey gray hair and thick eyebrows and sideburns, bluish eyes and hardened face set in a permanent scowl.  
"W-Who are you?" I stuttered, taken aback by his mountainous size.  
"Shouldn't you have abandoned the building by now?"  
"I was locked in the garage," I answered sheepishly.  
I noticed his gaze repeatedly shift to the metal shade that had come down in front of the doorway to the mainframe.  
"What's going on back there?" I asked suddenly, feeling an unbalance suddenly. Then something strange happened.  
I'd read in a book once that animals could detect natural disasters, like earthquakes or tornadoes just seconds before they happened. It was a sixth sense of theirs, so to speak.  
Well, strangely, I felt a sense of danger that was pushing me to run for my life.  
However, not seconds after I'd felt it, a bright white light crossed my vision and I was overtaken by the worst headache I'd had in weeks. Although I was aware of it, I couldn't even feel my body hitting the floor.  
Suddenly I was in this weird sort-of room, staring across the room at some sort of armor. At first glance, it just looked like a regular ol' clump of metal, but then, a wide ocean-colored eye peeked out from amidst the cracks in the armor, and it terrified me.  
I _knew_ that eye! Where had I seen it before...?  
Then my subconscious forced me to wake; note for the future, insomnia and visions _don't_ mix.  
It's far away from the city, a shoreline, more like.  
In the distance, I noticed someone riding away on a duel runner. I looked up finally and noticed Yusei and Bruno, staring at me. Bruno was just there, staring, like he was bewildered that I was there. Yusei kept a poker face, but he couldn't hide everything from me; I saw the suffering he'd tried to lock away. It was just sitting there, veiled thinly in his blue eyes, which were unusually dull.  
It was a long second before I finally realized just _who_ I was looking up at, and it was about five more seconds before I jumped up and threw my arms around my best friend, making some weird noise that combined laughing, choking, and crying.  
"Silvan," he sighed, keeping an indifferent attitude. "What's am I going to do with you?" but even I could tell he felt the same that I did, and he was holding me so tightly that I couldn't see his face.  
I just wanted to stand there in his arms forever. For a second, we were all alone and all my apologies and fears almost poured out of me. But we weren't alone, and I finally settled with burying my face in Yusei's jacket, inhaling his fresh, heady scent.  
When he finally let go, after the both of us had remembered Bruno's existence, Yusei rode me back to Sector Security, in which I sat behind him with my arms wrapped tightly around his waist and was very reluctant to let go.  
That night, I was finally able to sleep soundly, and I dreamed endlessly.

-  
"Shut up! Shut _up_!"  
As if I wasn't already blushing enough, now people were staring.  
I felt like my day by day routine was just riding around, visiting the guys, and occasionally fixing things that broke around HQ. Not a very exciting lifestyle, but it was considerably better than it used to be. And the WRGP was just around the corner, which should be even better.  
I ran into Raven early this morning, so we just started hanging out and catching up more. Kage's off somewhere, so Raven and I had a, um, _girl's day_. I had no idea what that was, nor did I plan on finding out, but this was another time I pitied normal teenage girls and regretted being a blonde.  
"I cannot _believe_ you guys did that!"  
"Raven," I huffed. "Don't make me regret telling you this..."  
"I still can't believe it!" she squealed for around the third time. "I _knew_ there was something going on between you two!"  
"Shut up, Raven. It was just one kiss," I relied sheepishly. "Nothing's going on."  
I hadn't wanted to talk about it at all. In fact, I wanted to forget it ever happened and resume my daily life how it normally was. Sadly, I'm vulnerable when it comes to persuasion, and now I'm never going to hear the end of my kiss with Kalin. Raven had known Kalin back in Satellite too, which made it even worse.  
She'd asked about why I hadn't been answering her calls, and I had to tell her about my busy-ness, and Crash Town was part of that. Am I really pale enough to show such an obvious blush?  
"Who else knows?" she asked excitedly.  
"I'm not talking about it anymore!" I protested, probably blushing deeper.  
"Aw, c'mon-"  
"I'm not," I said again. "Honestly, Raven, you're almost as bad as Yusei!"  
"Aha!"  
"_Shut up_," I grumbled again. "I'm just going to leave if you don't drop the subject!"  
"Fine, fine," she laughed. "Anything else I should know about?"  
"No," I huffed. "I'm not telling you anything ever again."  
"Aww, really? Ya don't mean that..."  
"Hi!"  
Raven and I both jumped at the same time, about a mile.  
Well, I might've jumped farther. When your senses are spiked higher than a normal person's, you tend to be more alert.  
I turned around, glared at a triumphantly smiling Kage, ripped off my right glove, and slapped him in the face with it. This seemed to be a daily routine with him.  
It made a satisfying noise of contact and Kage winced and recoiled, perching his goggles on his head and rubbing his cheek. "Jesus, Silvan! What was that for?!"  
"For scaring the pee outta me!" I answered matter-of-factly. "What are you so happy about, anyway?"  
"Duude, the _best_ thing just happened to me!" he replied, running a hand through his messy bangs before sliding his goggles back on. "I was driving... Well, of course I was driving... And I saw your cute friend, so I asked for a duel, and we didn't get to finish because she ran out on me! But the good news is, I made her bluuuush!"  
I blinked. "Kage. I'm hoping and praying that you're not talking about Akiza." Well... Akiza technically wasn't my friend. She didn't like me much.  
"Why? Is that bad?"  
"Kage Tanimaka," I said slowly. "I'm not going to do anything. I'm totally sure Akiza will straighten you out."  
"Yeah!" Raven added. "You don't wanna mess with that bi... *ahem* _woman_... She has _thorns_."  
I took a deep breath. "You two are imbeciles."  
"Hey!"  
"Uhmm... What does that mean?"  
I glared, pondering glove-slapping Kage a second time. "_Look it up_."  
Deciding I was done with this disaster of a "girl's day," I rode off in search of something sophisticated to do.  
Not much around here was very "sophisticated," so I just settled with seeing if Yusei was home. I don't usually like to sit still, unless it's with Yusei. He's the only one who can talk to me for hours and hours, get me into an uncomfortable conversation, and get away with it.  
Actually, he was the only one home.  
"Hey," I said nonchalantly, crossing the room with a short sigh. "What's up? You're usually never all alone."  
"Jack's out looking for a job, Crow's visiting with a friend from Satellite, and Bruno's..." he looked around. "Well, he left for something a while ago. He said he'd be back soon... What's going on with you?"  
"All my other friends are making me feel awkward and stupid, so I decided to come here for some peace," I replied timidly.  
He laughed a little. "Well, it's just me here. This is about as peaceful as it gets."  
When it went silent for a moment, I remembered that there was something I'd been meaning to ask him...  
I coughed. "Hey, Yusei? I've had a question for you for a while now... And I think now's a good time for me to ask."  
"What is it?" his answer sounded a cross between worried, uncomfortable, and curious.  
Sheepishly, I ambled over and lay my hand over that spot on his left forearm, avoiding looking up at him. "Um... What's this?"  
He gave me a puzzled look, until realization dawned and he rolled up his jacket sleeve for me to see the mark. "...This?"  
Hoping I wasn't intruding on anything personal, I gave a short nod.  
Now I saw it up close; I was right, it did look like the head of a reptile, with teeth, a sharp angular head, and a wide rounded eye. Curiously, it looked as though it had been burnt into Yusei's arm-maybe it was because of the reddish coloring.  
Cautiously, I lay my hand over it, and it seemed to be a few degrees cooler than the skin around it.  
"Remember all the stuff you say you missed?" he murmured. "Well, this is pretty much all you missed."  
"But that doesn't answer my question," I said. "What is it?"  
"It's a Signer mark," he explained. "There's this legend about the Crimson Dragon..."  
That sparked a dim memory. After Crash Town, I'd finally been able to do some research, and this was finally the time when I knew what he was talking about.  
"The Nazca Line legend?"  
"That's the one. Well, a few months ago, history repeated itself, and these Dark Signers tried to destroy Satellite and New Domino City."  
"Kalin said something about being a Dark Signer," I murmured. "But all he said was that he did some pretty terrible things..."  
"Well, he can't really blame himself for all of it," Yusei continued. "Kalin wasn't completely at fault."  
"...Are you the only one that has one of these?" I mumbled, almost illegibly.  
"No. Jack, Luna, Crow, Akiza, and I all have one."  
I dimly remembered Akiza mentioning something like that before...  
"Wow," I sighed. "I really did miss a lot."  
"Actually, I'm glad you weren't there." I'm sure he saw the distressed look on my face, because his tone lightened a little when he continued. "Things got really dangerous."  
I scoffed. "Pssh, my _middle name_ is Danger!"  
"Oh, yeah, right."  
"It is!"  
He laughed, mockingly this time, and I actually laughed with him.  
When it'd died down, I said, "No, but seriously, I'm kind of jealous of you. You get to do all the cool stuff."  
"Silvan, I know you're a fan of espionage and stuff like that, but it's only cool in the movies."  
"I still wish, though..."  
"No, I think you're great the way you are." strangely, I blushed. The way he'd said that triggered an interesting reaction in me.  
I scoffed. "You're totally just saying that because I'm the only girl around here who can build a duel runner."  
"No, _that_ was just a plus."  
I laughed humorlessly.  
He put his hand over mine, which was still touching his mark. "But really. Would I lie to you?"  
Well, he never had before..."Well, I don't _think_ so..."  
Yusei looked me in the eye, ignoring my sarcastic remark. "I wouldn't."  
I'd never given much thought to the effect those ocean eyes had on me, but I could make a really good guess now-like a kaleidoscope that was dappled with so many shades of blue, I couldn't count. They were eyes I could swim in forever.  
What was wrong with me?  
Still blushing, I looked down, averting my gaze until a hand tipped my chin up. I looked up docilely through my bangs, nervously tensing when that same hand brushed them out of my eyes.  
This was a strange occurrence for me. I'd never had such a quiet, mellow moment with Yusei in my life. Maybe it was because we were always competing, and we'd never slowed down long enough to have such a close moment.  
One part of me really wanted to know what he was thinking, while the other was focused on staying in this moment, wanting to loiter in it forever.  
The hand under my chin tilted up further, and his face tilted towards mine...  
Why wasn't I trying to avoid this? Wasn't it just going to be awkward between us? Why was this even happening? Why...  
I looked away. "...Why now...?"  
Those eyes were confused. "What do you mean?"  
"Why are you doing this now? All of a sudden... Just because..."  
But I already know the answer, it's been obvious for as long as we've known each other. Yusei is _mine_. I am _his_. Kalin's kiss didn't change that at all. It only made it more prominent, more alive. It had proved it to me and to him. It was never supposed to be any different.  
Lips brushed mine, and a feeling washed over me; warm, tingly, welcoming.  
Suddenly, I jumped back and landed a few feet away, on the floor, on my butt, just as Crow burst hurriedly into the garage.  
"Hey, Yusei," Crow said quickly.  
"What's up, Crow?" I could tell he was trying to be patient, but was thoroughly irritated by Crow's interruption.  
"You know Bolton? From Satellite?"  
"The duel runner guy?" I asked, trying to maintain a monotonous tone.  
"Yeah. Well, Trudge asked me to go a little into Pearson's disappearance, and I went to Bolton to ask... He won't tell me anything unless I duel him for it."  
"Well," I sighed. "what does he want in return?"  
"He wants a card of Pearson's called 'Black-Winged Dragon,' but I don't have it."  
"Well, that's an issue."  
"Crow," Yusei cut in. "trust your own judgement, what your instincts tell you; even if you don't have the card, if you want to duel Bolton, then by all means, go ahead."  
Crow sighed, rubbed the back of his head a little and sauntered upstairs with a troubled look on his face.  
Then Yusei sighed and walked over, holding a hand out to help me up.  
"I think that moment just died," I said.  
I took a breath as he took a step closer, and I took an automatic step back due to Jack's reentry to the apartment.  
"No one around here has any eye for hard work when they see it," he grumbled to himself.  
Knowing Jack, he probably bombed every job he'd tried in the past hour.  
"Uh... D'ya mind, Jack?" I asked absently. Now I was getting irritated. "We're trying to have a conversation here."  
He scoffed and turned back around. "I'm going for a ride..."  
I heard the rev of Jack's engine and it faded as he drove away.  
"Okay," Yusei complained. "If anyone else walks through that door in the next thirty seconds, I am going to be very irritated."  
I sighed. "We've still got Bruno. And if your _awesome_ landlord decides to drop in, she won't ever get off your back. I should probably get going."  
He sighed, trying to hide his disappointment and failing.  
I smirked a little, "Don't you even," and decided to kiss his cheek on my way out; embarrassingly, Yusei was about a head taller than me, and I ended up kissing his jaw, but I made him smile anyway. I felt warm all of a sudden.  
I actually did pass Bruno, who blushed but didn't say anything when I passed him.  
I rode quickly down the highway; I had to face reality, face the fact that I might actually be in love with my best friend.  
_Oh, who am I kidding?_ I groaned mentally. _There's no way around it..  
_In truth, I'd always had something about Yusei I'd been obsessed with. It changed with the years.  
When we first became friends, it was the fact that his dark hair always hung in his eyes, and he'd sometimes get mad at it.  
Teen years, I'd always felt special when he smiled at me. He usually didn't, but when he did, he had this dimple on his right cheek that was totally impossible to miss.  
And now, it's got to be the eyes. I don't think I have a way to describe that.  
Or maybe it's just that I'm obsessed with _him in general._ Is this what it feels like to be in love?

Faintly, I heard sirens. A chase, maybe? Or someone was hurt?  
Like the law required, I pulled over to the side of the road and waited for the sirens to pass. Opposite of what I'd thought, red and blue lights flashed ahead of me, and something came at me at top speed.  
It all happened too quickly; I saw the bumper of the duel runner that'd come in contact with me, the dark-clad rider riding it, and was jolted when my own duel runner rolled over and landed on me.  
The pain was instantaneous, and knowing that my duel runner weighed almost a ton, I estimated that a few of my ribs were history. It was hard to breathe, and I exhaled deeply, trying to take in air even though the action only hurt me.  
I looked up through my windbreaker and the dark clad rider skidded to a quick stop, spinning out of control for a moment before jamming on the break.  
The rider's windbreaker slid up for a moment to assess the damage, and the face I saw wasn't one I would've expected.  
"K-Kry...sty...?" I tried weakly, lack of air making speech difficult. The nickname slipped out accidentally, and I realized that I'd just called her by the nickname Jack used to use.  
My old friend scoffed and spat, "Don't call me that," before racing away from the quickly approaching Securities.  
A pair of bikes pulled up next to me, and one Security got off quickly.  
"Oh my God, Silvan?!" I recognized Kaz's voice through the haze that was quickly coming over me, and the burning in my chest accelerated and worsened as he and the other Security struggled to lift my runner off of me.  
Black spots obscured my vision. I decided I'd fought off my suffering long enough this week.

Drifting in and out of consciousness, I felt my body moving quickly under me.  
_I must be in the hospital,_ I thought weakly. _But where am I going?_  
As I was wheeled around a corner, I heard voices drift my way.  
"Silvan!" Raven.  
"Oh my..." Akiza.  
"What happened?!" Kage.  
"What the...!" Jack.  
"How...?" Crow.  
"S-Silvan?!" Bruno.  
"Oh... No..." Luna.  
"Silvan..." _Yusei._  
_Yusei, it's ok! I'll be all right..._ I wanted to jump up and throw my arms around him and run my fingers through his dark hair, kiss his perfect full lips. _Yes, I love you, _I wanted to say. Now that he was here, I decided I wasn't going to give up just yet. I'd get my chance to tell him I did love him, I swore to myself. I swore to the little boy with the blue eyes who made me who I am today, I swore to the adolescent tough-guy who was always on my mind, and I swore to the man I'd spent my whole life with just doing pointless nothings.  
Mindlessly, I lifted my arm as high as it would go and reached for him. "Yu...se...i..."

**I have no words. This might be my favorite chapter.**

**Thanks for reading! See ya ;D**

**-Eibon**


	7. Miseries

Misery Business CH. 6:

**Moar writings. There is Yusei being OOC in this chappie. Too bad. This is the way Silvan sees him so livewithitfornowplease :D**

Chapter 6: Miseries

I opened my eyes to a bright light; I was in an unfamiliar white room. The wall to my right was draped in long, horizontal blinds. The lights over my head glared at my hazy eyes. I'd been propped up on a hard and uneven bed with rails along the sides, the pillows were flat but lumpy.  
There was a really annoying beeping sound somewhere, which hopefully meant I was still alive despite my discomfort.  
"Ugh," I grumbled, my voice hoarse. "Hospitals..." I raised my arm to rip the IV covered in tape out of my wrist, but a different hand caught mine.  
"Yusei?" I turned slightly, and those eyes were staring at me from just inches away, his chin resting on the edge of my pillow. He lay my arm gently down beside me, then brushed an annoying wisp of my bangs away from my line of sight.  
"Good morning," he said, sort of sarcastically.  
"Um, good morning," I said, then eyed my opposite arm wrapped in thick gauze. "How bad am I?"  
"You have a broken arm, four broken ribs, and bruises covering every inch of you."  
I huffed. "Shoot."  
"Well, at least you're not in Satellite."  
I groaned loudly, until it turned into a cringe, imagining what Martha would've said.  
"This is what you get for throwing all caution to the wind," I mimicked in a terrible but not-so-off impression of Martha. "You're going to kill yourself one of these days, I swear Silvan, sometimes you're worse than Yusei!"  
He gave me a disbelieving look. I decided to change the subject.  
"Why are _you_ here?"  
Yusei stared at me, different emotions scrolling across his eyes, and his brows pulled together when he frowned. "Do you want me to leave?"  
"No!" I protested, horrified. "I just mean, you know... Were you _watching_ me?"  
"Oh," he said. "They said only one of us could come and sit with you until you woke up. They made everyone else leave."  
"You stayed.  
"Yes. I stayed." he smiled as he said it.  
That jogged my memory. I reached up with my left arm and grabbed the collar of his jacket, pulling him down to me. That beeping noise I'd heard earlier suddenly jumped around erratically, accelerating wildly even before his lips touched me. But when they did, the monitor went wild.  
The kiss was soft, not particularly long, but very, very sweet. I could sense the mixed emotions behind it, that he was confused and taken by surprise, but also somewhat excited.  
As soon as I had to pull away for air, he pulled me back again, holding me gently-like I was going to break. This second kiss had a rising feeling to it, like the friction between us was intensifying as the moments passed.  
Eventually, my chest started hurting from lack of air, and I had to pull away.  
"It's about time," he retorted, and I glared halfheartedly at him.  
"I should smack you for that," I huffed. "You're lucky I like you so much."  
He smiled again, brilliantly, and I smiled back as my fingers brushed through his bangs.  
Someone knocked on the door, and we both looked over. Yusei ruffled my bangs, then got up and crossed over to open the door for whoever was there.  
My friends piled in all at the same time, and I was overwhelmed with all the noise.  
"Hey, are you ok?!" Raven asked me nervously, her royal eyes wide.  
"I'm fine," I said. "I'm not dead, at least..."  
"Well, jeez," Crow grumbled. "That's good, you've been out for a while."  
...When was it again...? "How long have I been out?"  
"It's Tuesday."  
_Tuesday_?! I tried to remember the day it'd been, but even though I couldn't, I knew it'd been a while.  
"Who's fault is this?" Jack grumbled. Apparently, he had switched who he was being cynical with. Boy, was he in trouble.  
"Your ex," I retorted.  
"Pardon?!"  
"Who remembers Krystal?" I asked in a cheerful facade, raising my good arm in the air, but cringing soon after. "You know, dark hair, blue eyes, Jack fangirl?"  
Sheepishly, Yusei and Crow raised an arm, Raven followed, and Jack didn't look at me.  
"I think she was being chased by Securites," I recalled. "She was coming down the wrong side of the road, and I'd pulled over to let Kaz and his guys pass..." I scoffed. "Before long, I was being crushed by a hunk of metal."  
I jumped suddenly, then cringed and moaned a little.  
Everyone took a little step forward.  
"I'm fine, I'm fine," I grumbled. "But my duel runner..."  
"Bruno and I stayed up late last night and fixed it," Yusei assured me. "Don't worry."  
I sighed, at ease again. "Thanks."  
"You get worked up over the smallest things."  
"Shut up," I mumbled.  
"They didn't catch who hit you yet," Raven said quietly. "But I guess they could search because we know who it is."  
"She was dressed really darkly, but I saw her face," I replied. "Something was off about her."  
"Well, quit your worrying," Kage retorted from his place in the room. I hadn't noticed him... "All ya gotta do now is heal! And quick, cuz we got the WRGP to worry about!"  
I rolled my eyes, remembering suddenly. "Ah, dang it..."  
"Don't pressure her!" Raven scolded him. "She can't control everything, if she could, she wouldn't be here!"  
"You guys," I grumbled. "Stop arguing. Please."  
They glanced at each other. "Fine..."  
A nurse suddenly rushed in to check the little monitors to my left.  
"Your heart rate got a little high hon, are you all right?"  
I blushed. "Must've been some pretty whack nightmares... Whew!"  
"Well, I'm going to give you some more medicine to help with the pain."  
I wanted to protest that I was fine, but she'd already put something into my IV that made my eyelids droop.  
She left the room and Yusei gave a little chuckle. "What's with the face?"  
"I hate this..."  
"Then get better," Crow retorted as I started to fall asleep.  
They started to leave the room, and I was hard of hearing and sight.  
"Stay, Yusei," I tried, hoping he could hear me.  
Through the haze, I felt a hand slip into mine, and he kissed my forehead.  
"Always."

The doctor had said no riding my duel runner for at least six weeks while I healed... _Unfair_! Was I just supposed to walk everywhere?  
To be honest, I get hurt a lot. I'm kind of clumsy and a little uncoordinated, so it happens often, but never on a duel runner. This is the first time I've crashed for real (or been hit) besides when I was first beginning to ride...  
Off the streets, I'd had four broken toes, three broken fingers, a broken wrist, appendicitis, and cracks in my skull. Satellite's a tough place, did you expect me to be perfect?  
On top of the six-week-thing, the WRGP race practices were beginning in two days! How was I supposed to get better quick enough for that?  
On Monday, I was released from the hospital and Yusei walked all the way there so he could walk back with me. I'd never known him not to take a duel runner everywhere he went. It was actually kind of a first for me.  
Like he'd promised, he came and sat and talked to me every day, which was a good break from the silence they tried to keep me in. To keep me in a good mood, he would smile and those blue eyes would get so pretty, I absolutely had to kiss him again. Raven and Kage visited too, when they could, and on the occasion, I got to see Crow and Luna/Leo and Bruno. For some odd reason, I didn't see Jack for the entire rest of the week, but I didn't blame him for it.  
I wasn't particularly surprised that Akiza didn't come to visit, because she and I had been awfully distant since she'd gotten her turbo duel license.  
I checked out of the hospital at the main desk on the entry level, and met with Yusei on the way out.  
"What's the diagnosis?" he asked nonchalantly on our way back.  
"I can't ride for six more weeks," I grumbled. "Stupid hospital."  
"Well, it could've been worse," Yusei replied.  
"I still can't believe you _walked_ here," I retorted.  
"Walking is good exercise," he replied.  
"I have never known you to walk anywhere," I laughed. "Has Hell frozen over or something?"  
"First time for everything, I guess," he told me. He wound an arm around my waist as we passed through the Daedalus intersection, crossing to the Sector Security Headquarters.  
I was beginning to think that it was slightly embarrassed that everyone who worked there already knew who I was... Most of the female workers hated me.  
"Are you tired?" Yusei asked when we got down to the basement.  
"_Am_ _I_ _tired_," I scoffed. "I just spent the last six days doing nothing but sleeping."  
Yusei chuckled a little in that smooth baritone, the sound bringing me back to the good old days... It was so nice to hear him so happy.  
He suddenly swung me into his arms like I weighed nothing at all, carrying me across the room.  
"Hey," I blushed. "I broke my arm, not my leg."  
"Whatever," he said in what sounded like an impression of me.  
"You wanna go, dude?" I challenged. "I could kick you and your Stardust Dragon all the way back to Satellite!"  
"Uhhuh."  
"I could!"  
"Keep the dream alive," he retorted with a sarcastic grin.  
He set me down on the little sofa, and noticing my irritation, leaned down to kiss me.  
"Shouldn't you be somewhere?" I grumbled tersely through the kiss.  
"Are you trying to get rid of me?"  
I rolled my eyes theatrically but kissed him back. Damn Yusei and his damn blue eyes and everything else amazing about him.  
When he pulled back, he sighed a little. "I _should_ probably go now, it takes a while to get back on foot."  
"Maybe you could bat those ridiculously blue eyes at Mina and she'll give you a ride," I retorted.  
"Not a bad idea," he countered, smirking a little. "I'll be back tomorrow."  
"I'll be here," I replied, sounding a little blasé.  
The room seemed to darken when he'd gone. I took a look at my duel runner in the center of the wide concrete space, glad that I had such good friends, and thanked my lucky stars that I knew Yusei.  
Well, I wouldn't say that in front of him, it'd give him reason to tease me. But he really might be the most important thing in my life.  
There was a brief moment where I tried to imagine myself living without him.  
I couldn't.

I was woken by a feeble rapping on the door to the garage.  
The door was metal, so the slightest pressure echoed around the walls.  
I sat up, stretched, winced, and got up off of the couch, rubbing the corners of my eyes before I opened the door.  
There was no one there.  
Weird.  
I almost decided to go back to sleep, but then I glanced at the clock and saw that it was already 9 AM. I traipsed up to the elevator and pressed the button up to the main level, when that feeling came over me, cutting me off from the rest of the world.  
As hard as I tried to control this vision, I couldn't because of my weak state. The best I could do was stretch out my good arm to brace me as I sunk to the floor of the elevator.  
It was another vision of me back in Satellite.  
Down in the subway, trying to fix up my own duel runner, which had been fairly crappy at the time. Yusei was out, and so were Rally and Tank and Nervin and Blitz, so I was alone until Yusei stumbled in carrying Rally on his back.  
"What the...?" they were both soaked to the bone, and Yusei had given a shivering Rally his jacket. "What happened?" I grabbed a blanket from the shed and draped it over the both of them, while Yusei explained to me that Jack had dumped Rally in the middle of the sound, telling him to duel or go save Rally.  
When he'd returned, Jack had stolen his duel runner and Stardust Dragon and left.  
I got another blanket and started to dry Rally off with it. "Ugh. Where have the times gone?"  
"I dunno, but I think he could care less."  
Suddenly, a young woman slid down the stairs, her young face framed by disheveled brunette bangs and the rest of her long thick hair pulled back into a ponytail. "Hey guys. What's up?"  
_Uh-oh_, I thought. _She is_ not _going to take this well_...  
"Um, stuff," I settled with after a couple seconds. To distract myself, I wrapped the blanket back around a less-soaked-but-not-so-much-wet Rally and took Yusei's blanket off of his bare shoulders, rubbing it on the top of his head and face to help him dry off, too. Briefly, I remembered running my hands through his dark spikes because they'd gotten all fuzzy from the water.  
"Where's Jack?"  
_Oh_, _man_...  
I coughed, stood up, and took her shoulder as I led her out and upstairs.  
"Um, Krystal... Jack's gone."  
I watched as the instantaneous emotions scrolled across her face. Shock. Pain. Loss. Anger.  
"W-What?"  
"H-He dumped Rally in the sound, stole Yusei's duel runner, and hit the road," I murmured.  
It was a long second before Krystal turned around and slipped her helmet on.  
"Krysty, let's talk about this..."  
"What do we talk about?!" she exploded. Under the windbreaker, I saw tears running down her cheeks.  
_He'd just_ ditched _her_, I realized.  
I stood there as Krystal rode away, all my words still stuck in my throat.  
I took in a huge breath as my eyes snapped open, and I'd been slumped in the back corner of the elevator. I struggled to get up as it creaked to a stop, and it opened to where I could see all my friends scattered throughout the room.  
The lights spun around and I felt woozy, stumbling as someone caught me.  
"Silvan, what happened?"  
"Ugh, vision... On the elevator... I'm all right..."  
Yusei helped me up, and I stumbled over towards where I saw a blurry copy of Trudge.  
I swallowed, blinking a couple times. "What's up?"  
Yusei lay his hands on my shoulders, and I turned, blinking a couple more times to focus my vision.  
"Oh, hey Jack," I said slowly, then realized who was sitting in a chair a few feet to his left.  
Krystal's teal eyes were on my cast, then they flashed to my face. Her hair was pulled back in a braided knot at the nape of her neck, and her bangs were longer than I remembered. I noticed that someone had cuffed her wrists.  
"What's going on...?" I asked absently.  
"Jack's been out all week," Crow answered. "looking for Krystal."  
I glared at the tall blonde guy in front of me. "Dude. Not a good idea."  
"And running over you is?"  
"Okay," I sighed. "we both know that this isn't about me."  
"I didn't intend to hit you," Krystal grumbled. "It isn't my fault you decided to stop there."  
I scoffed. "Well, it's the law; I'm sure you wouldn't know that, what with you getting chased by Security and driving on the wrong side of the road all in the same day."  
She didn't have anything to say to that, which gave me an air of triumph.  
"So, button it," I continued. "And Jack, who told you that you could just go after her like that?"  
"Why are you defending her like that?"  
"Because, Jack," I retorted. "You _ditched_ her! You just had to attend to your own selfish needs instead of thinking of other people! Because of that, I spent most of my day setting Yusei and Rally out to dry, as well as telling Krystal that the person she was totally obsessed with decided he didn't need her anymore!"  
"Wow," Krystal grumbled. "I broke your arm, and yet you just did my job for me."  
"No problem," I huffed. "Now, this isn't my problem. Jack, go sort this out with Krysty." I used the nickname tauntingly, still thoroughly pissed off.  
"Thought I told you not to call me that anymore," she mumbled.  
"Yeah? You hit me with a duel runner. I'll call you whatever the hell I want. Just because I'm defending you doesn't mean I forgive you even though it was just an accident."  
Jack glared in my direction before stalking off, ignoring my earlier suggestion. Well, it wasn't really a suggestion, more like something he should really do.  
"You're welcome!" I shouted in his direction. "Psh, _men_."  
"Hey," Kage, Crow, Bruno, and Yusei protested all at the same time.  
"Oh, you know it's true," I grumbled sourly; Yusei's arms skimmed down my shoulders and wound around my waist.  
"Fine, we're all idiots. Happy?"  
"Marginally."  
"I'll buy that."  
"Good, because that's all I've got." I glanced at Krystal, who was still cuffed to a chair. I slipped out of Yusei's embrace and unlocked the cuffs with my thumbprint, since I was legally registered as a member of Sector Security. I shoved her in the direction Jack had gone. "Try not to kill each other."  
She grumbled to herself. "No promises," and stalked off.  
I scoffed. "They really _are_ perfect together."  
Everyone laughed, somewhat ironically, and Yusei wrapped his arms around me again.  
For once, I was okay with being idle.

**HOORAY FOR RANDOMPAIRINGTIMEYESSSS**

**Like, finally. I was going to be evil and make Silvan lose her memory... But I wanted a romance :D**

**ehehehehe Yusei's so funneh and cute in this chapter. He's kind of OOC, and is in more chapters to come, but this is also the way he used to act when he and Silvan were growing up. I'd rather not make him too tsundere, because that would also be slightly OOC and kind of throw everything off balance... D:**

**But yes. Thank you for reading and continuing to drive me to burn the midnight oil in order to bust these things out.**

**See ya ;D**

**-Eibon**


	8. Affections

Misery Business CH. 7

Chapter 7: Affections

**Well... Yusei has become a bit OOC from here out. LIVEWITHIT:D**

**Enjoooooooooy~**

"Hey, Silvan, could you hand me that crescent wrench?"  
Sighing, I handed Yusei the stupid hunk of metal.  
"I hate it when I have to sit and watch," I grumbled.  
"Well, it's just for a little while longer," he assured me. "And, look on the bright side. I crunched the numbers, and even though you did miss the practices, you'll heal just in time for the WRGP."  
"Hooray for numbers," I retorted, twirling my finger in the air.  
"Look who's extra uptight today," he commented, twisting the wrench in a 180.  
"I think I have an excuse," I grumbled, waving my plastered arm in the air.  
He scoffed. "Psh. _Women_."  
"I didn't hear you complaining about my sexuality last night," I shot back.  
He was quiet afterwards, so I figured I'd won this one.  
"I never realized how long this actually takes when I'm not helping," I said.  
"Just give me five more minutes," he said. "Is that too long to wait?"  
"Fine. _Five minutes_."

-

An off day for Raven usually consisted of less than ten duels, turbo or not, and neglecting to hang out with Crow.  
Since the WRGP was on the horizon, she and Kage had been endlessly training for it while waiting for Silvan to heal, but they hadn't had much else to do. Raven didn't know what Kage had in mind to fill his days, but she could honestly care less.  
So, one afternoon, Raven rode Jet Wing down to the Poppo Time garage in search of someone to kill time with.  
As soon as she walked in and saw Silvan laying upside down across a couple of chairs, picking at the fraying strings on her cast, and Yusei's bottom half sticking out from under a duel runner, she figured she wouldn't have much luck finding Crow here.  
"Hey, guys, have you seen Crow?"  
"No," Silvan replied sourly. "But I could really care less."  
Yusei slid out from under the duel runner. "Sorry about her, Raven. She's a little cranky this morning."  
"No I'm not," Silvan protested, shaking out her platinum hair. "The world just won't leave me alone."  
Yusei ignored her last comment. "I saw Crow this morning, heading down to Satellite to drop by Martha's. You might find him there."  
"Thanks," Raven commented, turning on her heels and traipsing back out the door.  
Hopping on her duel runner, the noir-head raced towards the Daedalus bridge that connected Satellite to New Domino City.  
Going back to Satellite brought up good memories, especially the day when Daedalus bridge was finished and she was one of the first to cross it.  
Crossing into New Domino City was a strange experience for her; people looked at her weird, hatefully, and she sometimes wished she could cover up the marker below her right eye.  
Being from the Satellite was like saying you were from another planet, and Raven didn't like it. But she'd started from the bottom back home too, and she didn't plan on staying there.  
Not a week into her time in New Domino City, she'd gained enough street cred to make almost all the duelists in the DAIMON arena either quiver with fear or challenge her to a friendly bout.  
Then she'd taken her skill to the street, challenging anyone with a duel runner to duel her. The duelists in New Domino City were all the same, stuck up and with rich backgrounds.  
When the World Racing Grand Prix was announced, Raven had considered creating a team to sweep these New-Domino-losers back to Satellite.  
She'd turbo dueled more, training herself and steering clear of Securities, until she ran into a stuck-up duelist who called himself "The King," or something.  
Halfway through their duel, Jet Wing had failed on her, and she'd had to pull over and take a look. She wasn't a mechanic, but she could tell what went wrong or not. The problem was fixing it...  
Then, like clockwork, came Silvan who gladly patched up Jet Wing and agreed to form a team for the WRGP.  
Then Crow, who was always funny and easy to get embarrassed. Her life got better than it'd been, which was nice.  
She caught Crow right as she was passing through the B.A.D. Area, whereas he was just heading back to the city.  
"Hey, Crow!" she said when they stopped side-by-side. "What's up?"  
"Just makin' a couple deliveries," he replied, pointing at the back of his jacket that said "_Blackbird Deliveries_."  
"I didn't know you had a delivery service," Raven giggled.  
"Well, ya know, Yusei and I have to keep up double shifts to pay our dues. Jack rarely lifts a finger."  
"Well, I'd expect that. First of all, he's _Jack_. And Krysty's still running around..."  
"Yeah, well, he only has himself to blame."  
"True. So, are you still on shift?"  
"Yeah, I just got a couple more deliveries, then I'm off. Wanna come?"  
"Sure."  
Crow and Raven sped off in a race, not feeling like going without the other, ya know, cuz birds of a feather flock together.

-

"Yusei," I complained. "It has been twenty minutes."  
He glanced at the wall clock. "Really? I guess time got away from me."  
"So, you haven't heard me complaining for like the last half hour."  
"I've learned to tune it out."  
"Well, fine," I pouted. "I'll go find someone else to hang out with."  
I rolled off of the chairs I was sprawled on and started to traipse across the room, until Yusei caught me in his arms and pulled me in.  
I kissed him back, happy to be doing something productive, and ran my fingers through his soft dark hair. My left arm, the one in a cast, remained pressed up against his chest and only contributed to the effect that we were as close as we could get.  
When he let me go, he said, teasingly, "Will you stop complaining now?"  
"I wasn't finished kissing you," I huffed.  
Yusei gave me a scolding look before obediently pressing his lips to mine, which I guess shut me up a little longer. If Crow or Jack or Bruno or anyone else walked in right now, it probably wouldn't bother me.

-

Kage was always bored about something. Whether it was duels or anything else, he just didn't get enough fire.  
The only duels that were heated enough for him were with Raven or Silvan... But then he remembered he wanted to finish his duel with Akiza.  
_Man_, she was so cute! The reddish hair, honey eyes, and she always got so hot and bothered about nothing...  
He decided he wanted to go look for Akiza. Finish that duel. Kill his boredom. Maybe make her blush once or twice.  
First, he wanted to check and see if she was with Silvan's friends. Akiza spent an awful lot of time with them, right?  
Kage pulled up to the garage and peeked in the door, in case something was going on.  
Now, Kage was an incurable jokester as he was a playboy. At a moment like this, he couldn't help sneaking up on Silvan and Yusei and jumping up behind them, but he'd probably get another glove slap in the face. Oh, well. It would _totally_ be worth it!  
Tiptoeing down the concrete stairs and adjusting his snug goggles, he felt a mischievous grin creep up on him. They were too busy making out to notice, anyway.  
Coming up behind Silvan, Kage let out a loud shout, and Silvan jumped so far, Yusei had to take a flying fall to catch her. They both landed on the floor a few feet from him, eyes wide.  
Kage was nearly _crying_, he was laughing so hard.  
"Jeez," Yusei huffed. "A little warning, please...?"  
"Kage," Silvan said through her teeth. "do you just think, "Hey, what would an idiot do?" and then that's what you do?"  
"Sorry, sorry," he apologized. "Couldn't help it. Have you guys seen Akiza?"  
"Why?"  
"Well, we didn't finish our duel, I kinda wanted to."  
"I haven't seen her," Yusei said indifferently.  
"She doesn't even like me," Silvan said tersely.  
"Oh, ok. Carry on, then." Kage sauntered out of the apartment, still laughing a little to himself. Boy, was he having fun.  
Riding off, he passed Jack's favorite café, where loud shouts could be heard...

"Fudge," I mumbled. "Fudge, fudge, fudge. The next time he does that, I'm going to break his nose."  
"Jeez, he almost gave me a heart attack..."  
"Try having him pop up at you on a daily basis," I grumbled. "It's exhausting, especially as my mind's always all over the place."  
He got up and scooped me into his arms, setting me down on the seat of his duel runner. "You sit. I'll be done in a sec, okay?"  
I crossed my ankles. "Fine..."  
He kissed the top of my head. "Patience is a virtue, Silvan. You gotta start somewhere."  
"I'll try..."

-

Krystal was sick of this. Sick, sick, _sick_.  
Silvan was making her do this, holding that broken arm over her head. Krystal had come to New Domino City to forget Jack Atlas, possibly reap her oncoming revenge. Not _work things out_.  
Stupid Silvan... Stupid broken arm... Stupid Sector Security...  
Jack sat, quietly, across from her and looked in the other direction. She'd been made to spend the whole day with Jack whether she liked it or not, and she was _not_ liking it.  
It was totally silent between the two, except for the noises of the restaurant around them. A shaky looking waitress with reddish hair suddenly approached them, her face flushed. "C-Can I get you anything, Jack?"  
Psh, Jack had yet another admirer. _Keep_ _dreaming_, Krystal thought._ He'll just crush your heart_.  
"No thanks," the blonde grumbled icily.  
Jolted, the waitress stumbled away with her silver tray, not once acknowledging Krystal's existence.  
Krystal didn't know what she was waiting for. She'd promised herself, the first time she saw him again, she'd chew him out and yell and scream until she got all of her negative emotion out. So, why couldn't she do it? What was holding her back?  
Suddenly, Jack blurted out, "What the deuce is wrong with you?!"  
"What's wrong with me?!" Krystal screeched, drawing attention from a couple other tables. "What's wrong with you?!"  
"You could've killed yourself, and you could've killed Silvan, and those Security idiots who were after you!"  
"I didn't think you cared about me at all! You left so suddenly, I didn't know what to do or what to feel!"  
"This is about me, now?!"  
"It's always about you, Jack!" Krystal exploded almost exasperatedly. "You made the decision to leave us, leave me! You never once thought about how I would feel, or how anyone else would feel!"  
"Well," he countered. "I'm different now!"  
"Prove it!" Krystal grumbled.  
"Yeah? You want me to prove it? I spent my whole week last week looking for you! Y'know why? Silvan said you'd crashed, and I needed to see that you were okay!"  
"Then why are you being so stiff and angry?"  
"Because you're not _you_!" he shouted. "You're not the you that I knew, the one that I liked!"  
"Well, you can blame yourself for that," Krystal said sourly. "After you left, I started a new life for myself. I'm different than I was, and I'm stronger than I've ever been!"  
Krystal stood up quick, her chair falling back into the sidewalk with a loud metallic sound. "If you can't handle that, then fine! I don't care what you think of me anymore, because you're already dead to me, Jack Atlas!"  
She grabbed her helmet off of the table, not caring whatever Silvan or anyone else said, and jumped on her duel runner to speed away.  
Back at the café, Jack jumped up and started towards his duel runner. Stephanie, the waitress who'd been watching from the shop, ran towards him at the same time as journalist Carly Carmine, who'd seen the whole thing as well.  
Both girls burned with jealously as they approached him, and Carly was the first to talk. "Hey, Jack, where are you going?!"  
"I'm going after her," was his gruff reply, ignoring all other protests from his jealous admirers.  
On his way out, Jack passed Mina Simmington, who was quite confused by the whole thing.  
Although, if she'd been there as well, Jack's escape from the café might not have been so easy.

Crow and Raven raced across Daedalus Bridge, and as soon as they reached the intersection in New Domino City, a scuffle exploded immediately at who had won.  
"You kidding?" Crow laughed. "That race was all mine! You had no chance!"  
"Nahh," Raven argued. "You were lagging behind! I totally got you!"  
"No way!"  
"Yeah way!"  
The two argued endlessly, laughing with each other as they made their way back to the Poppo Time garage.  
"Give it up," Raven said. "I won!"  
"Nooooo way!" Crow protested. "That was my win!"  
"It was mine!"  
"No, mine!"  
"Nuuh!"  
"Yeah huh!"  
"Nuuh!"  
"Yeah huh!"  
"NUUH!"  
"YEAH HUH!"  
At that point, Raven, fed up with the argument, grabbed the collar of Crow's vest and pulled him closer, pressing her mouth quickly to his to shut him up for once.  
After pulling back, Crow's eyes were wide and hazy.  
"But you... And then... And the..." he coughed and fell back onto the concrete. "You win."  
"Um... Sorry, Crow," Raven stuttered.  
"Just do it again," he mumbled.  
Raven heaved him up off the ground and grabbed his collar again. "Yeah, I thought so."

-

Kage pulled up to the DAIMON racing track and gazed at Bloody Kiss speeding around in a wide circle. He watched Akiza's magenta hair blow behind her, her wide eyes focused on the track.  
He pulled his goggles up and set them on the top of his head, smirking a bit. "Yeah. I'd tap that."  
Akiza suddenly sped to a stop in front of him and her windbreaker slid up. "...W-What are you doing here?"  
"Just thought we should finish our duel," Kage replied nonchalantly, gray eyes bright and wide without his goggles.  
Akiza blushed. _Score_! "W-Well, I'm busy."  
"That's cool. I could wait."  
She averted her gaze and sighed. "Or we could just turbo duel..." he probably wouldn't leave her alone until she gave him what he wanted. Problem was, what _did_ he want?  
"Cool," Kage replied, smiling a gleaming smile. Akiza slid her windbreaker down in hopes of hiding her blush, and spun around to approach the starting line.  
Kage slid his goggles down and pulled up next to Akiza, smirking with his eyes glued to the road.  
Akiza took a sideways glance at him. Why was he so interested in her?  
"Ready?" Kage's voice shook her out of her trance.  
"O-Oh, yeah!"  
"Ready?"  
"Set!"  
"DUEL!"

Krystal rode towards Daedalus, taking the longest, most winding roads so she could lose Jack's trail. No matter what, Phoenix Whirlwind kept showing up in her rear view mirror.  
"Damn guy," Krystal grumbled, speeding up and switching gears.  
Jack followed her at a quick pace across the Daedalus Bridge, towards the slums.  
Krystal started to calm down after she turned a corner and she didn't see Jack in her mirror anymore, but wasn't taking any chances. She sped up again as she turned a corner, speeding towards the B.A.D. Area.  
Suddenly, out of an alley, Jack's duel runner whirled out in front of her and stopped.  
Afraid of crashing again, Krystal slammed on the brake and the duel runner skidded to a stop, spinning out of control and landing on its side.  
Krystal flew over the top of the handlebars, landing in an alleyway and rolling over to hit the side of a brick wall.  
Jack threw his helmet off, running over to her side. "Are you-"  
"Leave me alone!" the brunette girl cried. "I don't want to talk to you!"  
Frustrated with her for being so uncooperative, Jack gritted his teeth. "I just want-"  
"I don't care what you want," Krystal said, scrambling to her feet and heaving up her duel runner. "Just leave! Stop following me!"  
She pushed him aside and adjusted her helmet before riding away again, but Jack wasn't going to give up.  
He'd long ago made the promise to himself that he was going to fix one of his mistakes, this included. Plus, he still had an issue...

-

"I tune Caius, The Shadow Monarch with Dark Resonator and synchro summon Shadow Void Dragon!"  
Kage watched, pleased, as the huge dragon rose to meet Akiza's ace, Black Rose Dragon. He had to admit, the dragon was a lot like Akiza herself. It was beautiful but dangerous, which was just more compelling to him.  
"That's a lovely dragon, Akiza!" Kage approved. "But I'm afraid I'm going to have to send it to the Graveyard! Go, Shadow Void Dragon! Dark Pulsar!"  
"Reverse card, open! Rose Blizzard!"  
Kage's shadowy attack vanished in a puff of rose petals, and Kage lay a facedown.  
"Oh, well. Next turn. I place one card face down and end my turn."  
Akiza kept staring at the road. Why was he so confident?  
She still couldn't figure out his motives...

-

Krystal raced towards Outcast Alley, figuring she could cut through without any trouble and the goons there would give Jack something to be annoyed about.  
Her dark duel runner passed through the huge alleyway, cutting around towards the harbor and back to Daedalus. She'd again lost sight of Jack, figuring he was being kept up by the guys in the alley, but never slowed down because she knew he was too good a duelist to spend much time there.  
Speeding across the bridge, Krystal's mind raced as she thought of where she could go.  
Her first thought was Sector Security, but Trudge would just rat her out to the guys...  
The last place she wanted to go was to Silvan or any of her buddies, because Jack spent all day around them.  
Then she thought of the friend she'd stayed with in the Tops, Timothy Saunders, and immediately raced towards downtown, taking the longer, littler, side stop streets that would be hard to follow her down.  
Approaching the gate, she hurriedly handed the guard her Turbo Duel license and tried to maintain the speed limit as she coursed up the hill.  
Turning into the cul-de-sac of Timothy's neighborhood, she quickly stopped and parked in his driveway, then quickly knocked on his door.  
Timothy was of average height, almost six feet tall, with a muscled build and close cropped ash blonde hair and wide, bright blue eyes. He was nice to Krystal and an admirable duelist, fond of rare cards like the Blue and Red-Eyes dragons.  
"Hey, Krystal," he said nonchalantly. "How are you?"  
"I'm good, but really quick, could I pull my duel runner into your garage or something? I'm sort of in hiding."  
"Wow, in hiding?" he teased. "Must be pretty serious. Go ahead, I'll pour some milk."  
Krystal smiled a little at Timothy's comedic nature and swung around again, pulling her duel runner into Timothy's garage as she heard the rev of an engine from far away: an engine too familiar to miss. _How did he find her_?  
Krystal rushed inside, not caring what happened next.

-

"Reverse card, open! Mirror Force!"  
"Key card, open! Seven Tools of the Bandit!"  
"Counter Trap, open! Heavy Storm!"  
Kage laughed a little. Man, was Akiza good at this. Reflecting every attack he had back at him...  
"I place two cards facedown and end my turn..."  
"My turn," Akiza declared. "Draw! I summon Twilight Rose Knight in attack mode! Now, I tune Twilight Rose Knight with Lord Poison to bring back to the field, Black Rose Dragon!"  
Oh. Kage was toast.  
"Now, I activate Black Rose Dragon's special ability! By releasing it from the field, I can destroy every other card on your field!"  
Kage figured. Shadow Void Dragon was history.  
"Now, Queen of Thorns, attack him directly!"  
Kage's duel runner was forced to a stop as the duel ended and his life points were decimated, and he huffed frustratedly as he took off his helmet. Why was it that the only good duels he ever had were with hot girls?  
"Good duel," Kage said. "That was awesome!"  
"T-Thanks," Akiza stuttered. She _still_ hadn't figured out his motives. "Why are you so interested in me, anyway?" she blurted.  
Kage cracked a little smirk. "Because you're an interesting person."  
"I-Interesting? What's that supposed to mean?" Akiza was getting frustrated. This guy seemed about as complicated as Crow, but she still couldn't get through to him... Why?  
"When you duel, or when you do anything else, you get all fierce and competitive. I haven't had a heated duel like that in a while. But you're also really nice and, well... Pretty."  
Akiza blushed. "W-What?"  
Kage found his chance and leaned forward to give the redhead a quick kiss, and Akiza blushed madly.  
For a split second, she considered slapping him, then pursed her lips and hopped on her duel runner, speeding away.  
As soon as she was gone, Kage punched the air. "Score!"

-

Krystal sat down as Timothy handed her a glass.  
"So, uh... Milk? Why?"  
"What?" Timothy asked nonchalantly. "It's good, and it gives you strong bones."  
"Ooh, we got a badass over here," Krystal laughed. "What are you gonna do, go to a bar and order it instead of beer?"  
"Nahh, real badasses beat everyone to death in the bar and then order pink lemonade."  
Krystal felt good as she laughed again, Timothy's good humor making her feel good.  
There was a repetitive knock at the door. Timothy got up. "Hmm, wonder who that could be...?"  
Krystal nervously adjusted herself on the couch. He couldn't have found her here... Could he...? If so, she was cornered...  
Suddenly, a burst of arguments erupted at the door between Timothy and someone else at the door with a horribly familiar accent.  
"Might I ask who you are?!"  
"Who am I?! I'm Jack Atlas! How could you not know who I am?!" typical Jack, letting his ego take over. "Never mind that! I saw a friend's duel runner come this way, I know she's here!"  
"Krystal!" Timothy shouted from the door, sounding irritated. "Someone's at the door for you!"  
"Tell him to go away!" Krystal shouted back loudly, hoping Jack could hear.  
"Not leaving!" Jack shouted back from the doorway. "Just give me five minutes, c'mon! Then I'll leave!"  
Angrily, Krystal stomped to the front room. "I'm giving you _two_ minutes."  
Jack took her wrist and led her outside around the front of the house.  
"Time's ticking," she grumbled when he finally stopped, turning to face her.  
Krystal made a noise of complaint and disbelief as she finally found the blonde's lips crushed against hers, in which she pushed him away and brought the back of her hand full force across his cheek.  
Ignoring the stinging in the right side of his face, Jack pinned Krystal's hands at her sides before kissing her roughly again until they were both gasping for breath.  
"W-Why?!" Krystal nearly screeched, blushing for no reason whatsoever.  
"Stupid girl," Jack grumbled. "I still care about you..."  
"Then act like it," Krystal grimaced, stalking away. "Your two minutes are up."  
"Fine," he spat, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her back. "I will."

-

"Done."  
"Yay!" I said. "Finally! Does it really take that long when I do it?"  
Yusei shot me a look. "_Yes_."  
"Ooookayyy, never mind, then!" I swung my legs off of the seat of the duel runner, the tips of my fingers trailing around the hood. "What do we do now?"  
Yusei put a hand on the side of my face and leaned in to kiss me, probably to shut me up, but was soon jolted back to reality by the loudness of almost everybody we knew traipsing back into the garage.  
I noticed, strangely, Raven with her arm tucked in the crook of Crow's elbow, Akiza blushing and staring nervously at Kage, and Jack and Krystal actually bearing to be within three feet of each other.  
The sunset outside cast an orange glow on the garage, adding to the effect that it was already the end of the day.  
"Um," I said. "So, how was everyone's day...?"  
Strangely, I got the same reaction from everyone.  
"Ehh... Not much happened..."

**This chapter was fuuuun. :D Especially writing from Kage's point of view. My friend Tristan created this character, and since he paired him with Akiza, I thought it might be fun to pair her with a fun-loving, glass-half-full type of guy. SEE HOW IT TURNS OUT BECAUSE YUSEI ALREADY BELONGS TO SILVAN :D LOL**

**But yes. Writing pervertedly is fun. (not sure if that is a word... :P)**

**Thanks for reading~! See ya ;D**

**-Eibon**


	9. Relay

Misery Business CH. 8

Chapter 8: Relay

**WRGP! Enjoy the duel scenes that took me like 3 days :D**

**And some romance-ish... OOC YUSEI! :D**

I was aware that Yusei was there with me before I even woke.  
I opened my eyes slowly, adjusting to the dim light.  
"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you," he murmured, smiling.  
I blinked a few times. "Since when did I move to the other side of the couch...?"  
"Well, I guess you're kind of a sound sleeper. You didn't really notice." I was laying in his lap, looking up at him. "Plus, you say some interesting things in your sleep."  
"Oh no," I groaned. "What did you hear?"  
His blue eyes shimmered. "You love me."  
I blushed and covered my face. "Can you do me a huuuuge favor and knock when you come in here?"  
Yusei laughed lightly. "As a concerned friend, I think I should be allowed to come in unannounced."  
"As a dude, you should knock before entering a lady's dwelling. It's rude."  
"It's a garage," he retorted. "Besides, I think it was _awesome_ how you were going on and on and on about how _awesome_ I am." his teeth glinted in the low light of the basement.  
I scoffed. "Shut up..."  
"Oh, you're my hero, Yusei!" he teased in a high voice. "You're too awesome for me!"  
At that point, I picked up a cushion from the other side of the couch and began whacking him with it, while he laughed and kept going on about my "infatuation" with him. Well, it was true, but I wasn't going to let him win that easily.  
Eventually, I crawled onto his chest and whacked him in the crab hair.  
"Satisfied yet?"  
"Nope." I whacked him again.  
"How about now?"  
"Uh uh." in the face.  
I raised it to whack him a third time, and one of his long, tanned arms that'd somehow wound itself around my waist pulled me roughly down so he could reach my lips.  
My resolve melted almost right away, and I dropped the cushion and threw my arms around him, running my hands through his dark hair. The kiss suddenly became more intense, those familiar hands calloused from so much physical work skimming down my waist and keeping me in an insistent grip.  
"Satisfied yet?" I mimicked him when he broke away.  
Yusei touched the side of my face, playing with a wisp of my bangs, then shook his head. "Nope." he pulled me down for a kiss that dripped desire.  
"How about now?"  
"Uh uh." he kissed me again; a tiny part of me not overrun by the intimacy of the moment considered that he was letting out a lot of emotion. Had something happened that I'd been unaware of? This was totally unlike him. Quiet, serious-as-hell Yusei was the last person I'd expect to be so, er... _ingrained_.  
My mind was scattered all over the place, trying to figure everything out at the same time. I didn't want to go into Yusei's head. It seemed kind of rude, even though I probably wouldn't have to guess what he was thinking to know already. Hypocritically, it didn't bother me whenever I did it to other people.  
I finally opened my eyes and found his open too, and probably blushed. Those eyes were soft but they smoldered, some deep emotion hidden under the surface.  
"What?" he asked curiously, reaching up a hand to touch my burning cheek.  
"Why do you keep staring at me like that?" I answered sheepishly. Lately, he did that a lot. Stared at me like Kage stared at Akiza. Like Crow stared at his Blackbird, or how Jack stared at cup ramen and coffee. _Longingly_.  
Lately, he'd been acting really out-of-character.  
"Like what?"  
"Oh, you know what I'm talking about," I grumbled dejectedly. "You're a smart dude."  
"Tch, no I'm not..." he tried playing it off, distracting me by playing with my hair.  
"Oh yeah? Then what's the tangent of 50?" I asked, struggling to keep focused.  
"1.2°."  
"Aha! In your face!" I shouted, pushing myself up off of him and rolling onto the other side of the couch. "But really. Why?"  
With a grunt, he sat up and scooted closer to me, looking slightly puzzled. "Really, what do you mean?"  
I poked his hard tan arm. "You are not _you_."  
"You've confounded me."  
"Yusei is tough and serious and focused and quiet. You are not being Yusei."  
"Would you like me to leave right now and ignore you for the rest of the week?"  
I glared at him. "Yusei _also_ cares about his friends. We're trying to be Yusei Fudo here, not Jack Atlas."  
Yusei laughed a little. "I don't really have anything to worry about right now. Am I allowed to enjoy that little time slot for just a couple minutes?"  
"Of course, but, ya know... You're kinda freaking me out."  
He sighed loudly, kind of groaned actually, and pulled me into his arms. "Oh, Silvan... What am I going to do with you?"  
"What?!"  
"You're so paranoid."  
"I know, but-"  
From behind me, he leaned over and pressed his lips over mine to shut me up. Well, that at least took me mind away from the subject.  
When he pulled away, he said, "So, this is off topic... Crow broke his shoulder yesterday."  
"What? Is he okay?"  
"Yeah, he's fine. Akiza asked to replace him for the WRGP."  
"Really? She's seriously getting into turbo duels now, isn't she?"  
"That miiiiight be my fault," he said.  
"Well, does it matter? I'm glad she's a turbo duelist now; we finally have something to talk about."  
"And everyone knows, all girls need to talk about themselves."  
I glared at him, and he playfully stuck his tongue out at me in return.  
"Well, what about you?" I countered. "I rarely ever talk to you about something other than technology."  
"Because that's all we ever talk about," he replied. "We have it in common. What are we supposed to talk about, the news?"  
"Are you kidding? I never watch the news. The news is for old people. Besides, they just tell you what you already know. '_Tonight, on news at 9: No one has any money_.'"  
"Well... No one does."  
"I rest my case," I grumbled, falling back onto the opposite arm of the medium-sized sofa, my legs sprawled over his lap.  
He lay next to me and was about to wrap an arm around my waist, but I rolled over and swatted him away. "Jeez, Silvan, what a tease you are."  
I blushed and he patted the top of my head.  
"Hey, Silvan..."  
"What?"  
"You're blushing."  
I touched my face. "Shut up, Yusei."  
He laughed. "But you _are_."  
"I said shut _up_..."

The next morning, I got my cast taken off. It was good to be able to move my arm around again, which was such a relief.  
Then I walked back to the Security HQ and downstairs, where I gladly changed into my riding suit and took a few laps on my duel runner. Man, it felt good to ride again!  
The WRGP was beginning today... I pulled out of the garage and headed towards the track at the Kaiba Dome, my head buzzing from all the commotion that seemed to be in everyone throughout the city.  
No had arrived at our lane yet, so I just set up my tools and things, since I was the pit crew and the last wheeler.  
It was around an hour before anyone else showed up.  
I coughed as I recognized André, Breo, and Jean at the lane to my right.  
"Well, hello again," André greeted me, shaking my once broken hand. "It was quite a shame to learn that you'd been hurt. I trust you've healed well?"  
Nervously, I smiled. "Yes, thank you. It was hard, but I'm here now and I'm ready to race!"  
"Well, that's good," Breo said. "The three of us were so hoping to duel against you, and we weren't sure if you would be able to."  
"Thanks for your concern, but I'm fine now. I'm sure we'll get to duel eventually."  
Jean gave a light scoff. "Nice outfit."  
I gave him a curt smirk. "Thanks. I'll trade you for yours. I might be doing you a favor."  
There was a rev of a couple engines as Kage and Raven arrived, both wearing their own riding suits. Raven's was armored on the chest, back, shoulders, and knees, and Kage wore a slimmer jacket and pants with the custom shoulder and knee pads.  
"It was good to see you three again," I said to André. "Good luck!"  
Raven hugged me. "Good to see you out of that cast! You're pretty irritable when you can't use your duel runner."  
"Yeah, sorry about that," I coughed. "But I've got my head in the game! How about you guys?"  
"I'm ready to go!" Raven told me.  
"My dust is ready to be eaten," Kage said matter-of-factly.  
Raven and I laughed good naturedly. We all loved turbo duels too much. It probably wasn't that healthy. Especially the eating-of-dust part.  
Kage and Raven and the rest of Team Unicorn and I all turned our heads when Team 5D's arrived, which was really obvious because I've worked on almost all of their duel runners, and I know what they all sound like.  
Awesome... Stuck in a lane between Team 5D's and Team Unicorn. Not distracting _at all_.  
Krystal rode in behind with the rest of the pit crew, which was basically Bruno and Leo and Luna on their duel boards.  
Raven immediately sauntered off to talk to Crow and Kage followed, probably to interrogate poor Akiza. I sighed a little and strolled over to Yusei, the only person who wasn't busy with someone or something.  
"Hey," I said. "Happy WRGP!"  
"Well, finally. Glad to have that cast off?"  
"More than glad," I laughed. "I can actually move it without cringing."  
"Glad you're ok. P.S., nice outfit."  
"You like it?" I joked, spinning around once. "I've got armor for it once the race starts. You don't look so bad, yourself."  
He gave me a "not hardly" look, shaking his head slightly.  
I giggled a little and Yusei dismounted his duel runner, the fingers of his left hand skimming along the waist of my suit, like he was examining it.  
"Ah ah ah," I teased, taking a couple light steps to the left. "You can look, but you can't touch."  
Childishly, he stuck his tongue out at me.  
"Nyahh," I said in return, sticking my tongue out at him. "You guys are first. Good luck."  
"We're not gonna need luck!" Jack bragged from a few feet away. "Not when Jack Atlas is a the wheel!"  
I scoffed. "Okay, Jack. Don't hurt yourself."  
Jack glared at me but wheeled over to the starting line, where André had already set up. The rest of Team 5D's took their places in the pits, while Kage, Raven and I listened to the announcer heartily introduce the main event.  
"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for! Team Unicorn, André, Breo, and Jean! Their opponents? Yusei Fudo, Jack Atlas, and Akiza Izinski! Together, they are Team 5D's!"  
I watched with the crowd, and Jack revved the engine on his duel runner, staring André down. The countdown tolled, and both racers jammed on the accelerator, zooming around the first curve of the track.  
Jack was lurching ahead of André at a steady pace, until suddenly, a blast of blue flame exploded from André's exhausts and he raced forward.  
"Whoa, man!" Kage said. "What the heck just happened?"  
"He's got an overboost system," I replied, displeased.  
"Isn't that against the rules or something?"  
"No, but I think it should be," I continued. "It puts your duel runner at top performance and accelerates it for the beginning of the duel, but it lowers the overall performance and limits the maximum speed of your runner as the duel progresses."  
"Why would he use that if it's ust going to get him down later?" Kage asked.  
"André wants the first move," I answered. I didn't know what André was up to, but it couldn't be good for Jack.  
André was first. "It's my turn! First, I summon the tuner monster, Unihorn Familiar!"  
A tuner? What was he getting at?  
"Then, by discarding a spell card in my hand, I can summon Minocerous! I know neither of these monsters are very impressive on their own... but together?"  
A Synchro Summon, maybe...?  
"I place two cards face down and end my turn!"  
"Um... What?" Raven said from my left. "He was all set to Synchro Summon... Why didn't he?"  
"Maybe... Jack's rep scared him off?" Kage said hopefully.  
"No," I cut in. "If he'd Synchro Summoned with those two monsters, he'd be able to up his defense pretty high. Due to that Minocerous' effect, he could've brought the tuner back to the field for more defense, but now... I'm not sure what he's going for."  
"This can't be good," Raven moaned.  
"You took the words right out of my head."  
Jack drew a card. "Since monsters only exist on your side of the field, I can summon Vice Dragon from my hand! However, due to my summoning it in this fashion, I'll have to halve its life points; but that won't matter! Next, I summon the tuner monster, Dark Resonator!"  
He's trying to bring out ol' Red Dragon Archfiend, isn't he?" Raven commented.  
"Yeah," I said. "But André's bound to have something up his sleeve. I wouldn't be surprised if one of those face downs led to Jack's doom."  
"Now, level 3 Dark Resonator, tune with level 5 Vice Dragon! In a blaze of power and might, a new beast is now formed! I Synchro Summon the Red Dragon Archfiend!"  
The crowd went wild. The first turn, and the incredible Jack Atlas had already summoned his ace. Well, I had a sinking feeling they wouldn't be cheering for long.  
"Get ready, André, because when my Red Dragon Archfiend attacks just one of your monsters in Defense mode, all of your other monsters in Defense mode are destroyed! Now, let him have it, Red Dragon Archfiend! Attack with Absolute Power Force!"  
"I play Unihorn Familiar's special ability!"  
I shook my head. "Yup. There it goes."  
"When Unihorn Familiar is attacked while in Defense mode, by removing a monster on my field in play, I can also remove Unihorn Familiar from play!"  
I felt the jolt run through everyone. No one was expecting something like this. What are you thinking, André...?  
"Nice try, André! But I don't think so! I'm stopping Archfiend's attack here and now!"  
"You're not stopping anything, Jack! Thanks to my Unihorn's special ability, it forces you to carry on with your attack!"  
"I knew he had a trap," I said.  
"Well, that's cuz you're psychic," Kage said matter-of-factly.  
"No, it's not because I'm psychic," I snapped. "It's called common sense. When someone avoids a Synchro Summon like that and just plays a couple of face downs, you know they've got some trick. I think I would've waited to destroy that Unihorn with a card effect rather than attack it head-on. If Jack had been dueling smart instead of powerful, he wouldn't have been so blind to that."  
"I activate the trap, Different Dimensions Lost Force! Now the damage your Archfiend was about to inflict on me is reflected back to you!"  
"Oh no," I groaned. "That could be a one-turn-kill."  
"But he has a thousand life points left," Kage protested.  
"André still has another facedown, and he's got quite a few tricks up his sleeve," I pointed out.  
There was a flash of light, and Jack took the full brunt of 3000. Out of the smoke of the attack, Jack looked pretty mad. "I place three cards facedown and end my turn!"  
Dimly, I heard Jean's familiar taunting tone from the lane beside us. "Jack's about as predictable as his deck. Victory's all but assured now, Breo. So much for the infamous Team 5D's."  
Grrr... I wanted to just _kick Jean's head in_. Hopefully, Jack survived the duel long enough to pass the baton to Akiza, and she and Yusei would put Team Unicorn in their place.  
"My turn!" André drew a card. "First, the Unihorn Familiar that was removed from play last round returns to the field! So, welcome back, my single-spiked friend!"  
Show me what you're getting at, André...  
"Next, I'll be welcoming Unicorn Knight! However, for that to happen, I must resurrect Minocaurus, then special summon him! So, come back Minocaurus!"  
Possibly a Synchro Summon? André was too good for me to guess.  
"Now, appear, Unicorn Knight! And now, level 2 Unihorn Familiar, tune with level 3 Minocaurus! Feel the wind blow, and hear the clouds above rumble with electricity as I Synchro Summon Thunder Unicorn!"  
"That Unicorn wouldn't scare a mouse!" Jack scoffed. "He's no match for my Red Dragon Archfiend!"  
"Very true, Jack," André answered smugly. "Right now he's not, but once a turn, my monster can lower your monster's attck points by 500 for ever non-Thunder Unicorn on my field!"  
"So what?! You only have one non-Thunder Unicorn on the field, do the math! My monster's still the strongest!"  
"Not if you do the math with Minosaurus' special ability, an ability that I can activate from my grave!"  
Here comes that effect... Unless one of those face downs Jack had was a counter, he was a goner.  
"You see, when Minosaurus is used to Synchro Summon with a beast-type tuner monster, I can resurrect that tuner monster! Welcome back once again, Unihorn Familiar!"  
There was a blast of electricity as Red Dragon Archfiend lost 1000 ATK points. "No!"  
"Now go, Thunder Unicorn! Attack with Super-Charger Bolt!"  
Regrettably, Jack lost 200 life-points, making his grand-total 800.  
I listened in on Breo and Jean again, since they were celebrating so loudly, I could hear them talking.  
"André is simply playing lights-out!" Breo said elatedly. "I agree that _the deck_ is a complete and total success so far! Wouldn't you agree, Jean?"  
"Of course I would, but I'm not surprised. After all, it took weeks of meticulous study to assemble those cards."  
_ The deck...?_  
"Each and every duel scenario André may encounter with Jack has been thought out and played through. He has no chance."  
Breo made a weird spasm, like he was cold. "No chance?! Boy, you give me goosebumps when you talk like that."  
I glared in their direction and huffed. I wish I could've said that they were cheating, but they were following all the rules and doing everything a good opponent should. They were quality duelists, top notch. I wonder what they had planned for us.  
"I place one card face down and end my turn!"  
"I'll tell you what else is coming to an end! Your lead in this duel; the master of faster is about to shift into overdrive!"  
Oh, Jack... Why can't you be normal...?  
Suddenly, I glanced over and saw Luna waving the sign for a pit stop. Something had to be wrong...  
Grimacing, Jack passed the sign without another glance and drew a card.  
I ran over to the gate cutting me off from Yusei and the others.  
"Hey, what's going on? Why didn't he pull in for a pit stop?"  
Bruno gave me a shrug, and Yusei looked troubled. "He's got something in his air tank..."  
I knew what that meant. I looked over at Leo and Luna. "Kids, cover your ears!"  
"Why-"  
"Just do it!"  
Obediently, Luna clapped her hands over her ears and Akiza put hers over Leo's.  
"That _asshat_!" I huffed. "Does he know?"  
"Probably not," Bruno said, grimacing.  
I huffed. Stupid Jack.  
Running back over to my team, Raven said, "What's up? Why didn't Jack take a pit stop?"  
"I dunno, but he's got something in his air tank; it could mean a lot of bad stuff!"  
"That idiot!"  
"That's prideful Jack for ya," I said. We turned our attention back to the duel. Jack had just summoned Mad Archfiend.  
"Next, I'll activate the trap, Powerful Rebirth! With this, I can summon a level 4 or below monster from my Graveyard! And thanks to Rebirth, its ATK points increase by 1000, and its level increases by one! I choose Dark Resonator! Come on out!"  
Another Synchro? Jack was playing right into André's strategy!  
"Next, I'll activate another trap! It's called Rage Re-Synchro! By sending certain Synchro material to my grave, I can re-summon a Synchro monster from my Graveyard, with a 500 point boost!"  
Archfiend. André had to have seen that coming.  
"So, go level 4 Dark Resonator and level 4 Mad Archfiend, to the Graveyard with ya! But your banishing won't be in vain, for with your demise, new life is given! Rise again, Red ragon Archfiend! Now, go Red Dragon Archfiend!"  
"I play my facedown, Dimension Trap! Now by removing one monster on my field and a trap card in my grave from play, I can use the effect of the trap card I just removed!"  
"Jack's a goner," I murmured.  
"I now remove Unihorn Familiar and Different Dimensions Lost Force from play in order to activate my trap! And you know what that means!"  
"This time I'm ready! I activate my facedown card, Overpower! This card negates the effect of a trap on your field! Go, Red Dragon Archfiend!"  
André took the brunt, 1300 ATK points in damage.  
Kage sat down. "Jeez. That took some years off my life."  
"Close call," I murmured. "But I don't think this is over."  
"Not by a longshot," Raven finished for me.  
I noticed Yusei and the rest of Team 5D's looking across us, staring down Breo and Jean. I guessed Yusei had figured it out.  
Back on the track, I noticed André had flipped up a facedown. "Parallel Select! Thanks to this trap, when a Synchro monster is destroyed, I can add a removed card to my hand! And the card I'm adding back is the Speed Spell, End of the Storm!"  
"Uh oh," I groaned.  
"This canNOT be happening," Raven moaned.  
"Aw, this isn't good!" Kage whined.  
"It's my turn! I play the effect of Speed World 2!"  
Jack was blasted with 800 points of damage; immediately, his duel runner locked in relevance to the loss of a duel, but suddenly, it whirled out of control and lost a wing!  
"No!" was my immediate reply, and I ran to the edge of the gate as the duel runner flipped out of control. Oh my God... Please let him be okay... Sure, he was egotistical and never listened to a word I said, but he was like my big brother!  
I jumped the fence and ran off towards Jack, who was collapsed on the ground. Yusei ran towards him at the same time, but Jack snapped, "Stay back, both of you!"  
"But... You're hurt..." I whimpered.  
"But Jack-"  
"No buts, either of you!" he yelled at us, heaving his duel runner up and pushing it up towards the finish. "You know the rules!"  
I huffed, but backed away into the pits again.  
My stomach flipped over and over, watching Jack heave his duel runner towards Akiza, who was at the ready. Then, Jack passed the baton to Akiza and she zoomed off after André, holding her own and getting the first move, too.  
"Good luck, Akiza," I said to myself, then ran over to look across the fence at Jack. Yusei was dragging him back into the pits, and saw me watching. He gave me a reassuring smile, and I tried to look less concerned. Then I turned back to the duel to watch Akiza kick some metal.  
"First, I'll summon Phonexian Seed! But for this bud to bloom, I'll have to send it to the grave! Now, I summon Phonexian Cluster Amarillis from my hand!"  
"All right Akiza!" Kage hooted. I laughed, but I cheered with him.  
"Now, Phonexian Cluster, show that Unicorn Knight some real flower power!"  
André took the brunt of 300 ATK in difference, but Akiza wasn't done.  
"And now, Phonexian Cluster's special ability activates! You see, every time she attacks, she's destroyed; every time she's destroyed, you take 800 points of damage!"  
André's life fell to 1500.  
"Now, I place one card face down, but that doesn't end things for Phonexian Cluster! By removing one plant-type monster in my hand, I can bring her back to the field! Welcome back, Phonexian Cluster!"  
"My turn!" André drew. "First, I'll activate the Speed Spell, Dash Pilfer! With this, by paying 4 Speed Counters, I can take control of a monster on your field that's in Defense mode!"  
There went Phonexian Cluster... I hoped Akiza could pull this off.  
"Next, I summon Unibird! Now, I'll play his ability! By removing him and one monster on my field from play, I can summon a Synchro monster from my Graveyard as long as it has a lower level than the one I just removed!"  
Uh oh...  
"I summon back to the field Thunder Unicorn! Thunder Unicorn, attack Akiza directly with Super Charger Bolt!"  
Poor Akiza took the full direct brunt, leaving her with 1800 life-points left.  
"I place one card face down and end my turn!"  
Akiza was lucky; depending on André's hand, he could've ended the duel then and there.  
"It's my draw! From my hand, I summon Witch of the Black Forest! Now that she's summoned, I can draw another card from my deck; Rose Fairy! Since this card was added to my hand by a monster's effect, I can summon her to the field!"  
Was she going to summon Black Rose Dragon? Whatever Akiza was doing, I hoped it was enough to quell André...  
"Next, I activate the Speed Spell Angel Baton! Since I have 4 speed counters, I'll draw two cards from my deck as long as I discard one!"  
I saw Black Rose Dragon coming...  
"Next, I'll tune level 4 Witch of the Black Forest with level 3 Rose Fairy! Spirits of the forest, intertwine with the essence of the sky! I Synchro Summon Black Rose Dragon!"  
I wondered what Akiza was going to do next...  
"But I'm not finished yet! I activate the trap card, Star Syphin! With this card, I can summon a Syphin Token, and then swap my monsters' levels!"  
What was she up to...?  
"Next, by sending the top card in my deck to the Graveyard, I'm allowed to bring back this old friend; Glow-Up Bulb!"  
Another Synchro Summon? What would she summon?  
"Now, level 1 Glow-Up Bulb, tune with level 7 Syphin Token! Watch as two become one, and out of one will come great cosmic might!"  
I'd heard those words before, and suddenly, for some reason, I couldn't breathe.  
"You don't think...?" Kage murmured.  
"She isn't...?" Raven asked.  
"She is," I swallowed, but the rest of my words stuck in my throat.  
"I Synchro Summon Stardust Dragon!"  
Yusei trusted Akiza enough to loan her Stardust Dragon...? I understood the significance of the situation, that it was to catch André off-guard and beat him once and for all...  
But it hurt. A lot.  
"But before I get to him, feel the wrath of Black Rose Dragon!"  
André's life points fell to 1300, but Akiza obviously wasn't finished.  
"Stardust Dragon, attack!"  
"You can't attack! The battle phase is already over! I play the trap, Dimension Equilibrium! With this card, when a monster is destroyed in battle, I can remove the attacking monster from play and bring back the monster that was destroyed! Come on back, Thunder Unicorn!"  
"Fine, then! I place two cards face down and end my turn!"  
It was André's turn. "Draw! I activate the Speed Spell, Speed Energy! With this, I multiply the number of Speed Counters I have by 200, then add that to my monster's attack points! Now go, Thunder Unicorn! Attack with Super Charger Bolt!"  
4600 ATK...  
"I activate the trap, Half Counter! I can add half of Thunder Unicorn's original attack points to Stardust Dragon's!"  
It wasn't enough, but Akiza withstood the attack. She was left with 800, just enough for Speed World 2 to finish her off.  
"I activate the effect of Speed World 2! By discarding 4 of my Speed Counters-"  
"I activate the trap card, Quickened Revert! By paying 800 life points, I can ressurect a monster from the Graveyard, as long as its effect is negated! Return, Stardust Dragon!"  
Akiza had sacrificed the last of her life to bring back Stardust for Yusei's use; I watched as she pulled back into 5D's lane.  
I didn't want to watch the rest of the duel. I'd lost my buzz for the whole thing. I'm positive Yusei saw me go back into the pits, where no one could see me and the noise of Yusei's duel wouldn't bother me until I fell asleep tonight.

**Awe. Sad Silvan. She has a bad habit of dwelling on things forever and ever, so unfortunately, she'll be whining about this for a couple more chapters :D**

**This duel scene took me like 3 days, I swear. I had to watch the 3 episodes it took for Jack and Akiza to lose, then type it up play-by-freaking-play. Luckily, The next duels I do will be completely from my own imagination, so it shouldn't take me too long.**

**Thanks for reading! See ya ;D**

**-Eibon**


	10. Unbeknownst

Misery Business

**SIGH. Sorry I haven't been posting, lately. I've had this really bad writer's block, and Thanksgiving was yesterday, and I have lots of Lit homework...**

**No excuses. Here's chapter 9. (Finally)**

Chapter 9: Unbeknownst

The voice of the announcer blared loud and clear; Yusei had won.

I knew he would, of course. He always has something up his sleeve.

Team 5D's just barely beat Team Unicorn... That was something I'd expected too. But Yusei had beaten all three of them, André, Breo, and Jean consecutively.

If that's how difficult this thing's gonna get, Yusei struggling to win a duel, then I should be very worried.

Akiza had used Stardust... That was still bothering me. I wasn't necessarily jealous... I was kind of sad, actually. I already knew Yusei was mine, and I was his, but shouldn't he trust me just as much?

Deciding that I should go out and face my friends, I was suddenly aware of someone watching me. I spun around quickly, and spotted three considerably tall and scary-looking men watching me from their own corner of the room.

Deciding I should take a harsh approach since all three of them had those ragged prison scars, I spat, "Can I help you?"

One with wavy reddish hair smirked and looked at me with sharp dark eyes. "Well, calm down, we don't mean any harm."

I scoffed. "Whatever."

As I turned away, someone's fingers caught the back of my suit and pulled me back slightly. On an automatic reflex, I spun around and slapped one of the men-I was too angry to know which-across the face.

"_Don't_ touch me ever again, or I swear, you'll get way more than just a slap in the face," I threatened in a voice so dark, it jolted even me.

One of the men next to him with strangely styled violet hair and an unbalanced gaze laughed loudly and maniacally. He sounded thoroughly psychotic. "This one's fiery! Everything we thought she'd be!"

What was _that_ supposed to mean?!

"Looking forward to tomorrow, my dear. It will be a pleasure to beat you," the third with dark hair purred in a strange accent, then walked out with the rest of his company.

Tomorrow? _That_ was Team Catastrophe?

Disgusted and disturbed, I stalked outside, intending to give that guy a piece of my mind. Instead, Kage and Raven ran right up to me. "Silvan, where have you been? You missed a pretty nerve-wracking duel."

"I need to go burn off a layer of my skin," was my scathing response, and I stalked the other way towards my duel runner.

Sitting down, I pondered all the ways I could get that guy's nasty touch residue off of my back.

Without looking up, I sighed, "Congrats on your win."

Yusei, who'd just walked up, gave me a funny look. "Thanks. What's up with you?"

"I'm having a bad day," I replied sourly. "I'm currently trying to think of all the ways I can get rid of the top two layers of my skin."

"Any particular reason?" he sounded confused, slightly concerned.

"A gross guy touched me," I huffed, my skin crawling at the thought.

"In that case, I'll go get a blowtorch and a fire extinguisher." I finally looked up and gave a curt laugh at his expression.

I got up when the fanfare blared for the next match. The announcer's voice rang through the stadium.

"And the competition doesn't stop here, folks! Get ready for another fiery duel! From the farthest corners of the desert, please welcome Tamina, Pratik, and Mo! They are Team Fortune Ark!"

From across the way, I spotted a slim woman who was clearly of an exotic nationality, flanked by two heavily muscled men.

"And their competitors this afternoon: Silvan Levine, Ravelin Kido, and Kage Tanimaka! Team Sterling!"

"Well, that's us," I said. "See you in the finals."

"Good luck," he said, touching my shoulder. He leaned down to kiss me goodbye, but I pulled out of his arms and walked in the other direction.

I didn't look back; just imagining how pained he had to be was heartbreaking enough.

Kage was just beginning to mount his duel runner.

"Good luck, Kage. Don't let your guard down," I said.

"You ladies can count on me," he said matter-of-factly.

The first of Team Fortune Ark's duelists rode up to meet Kage's duel runner, on a plain-looking duel runner decorated with exotic symbols.

He was the taller and more muscled of the bodyguards, with a pointed black beard and hair tied back into a slim ponytail; a strange red marking was painted under his right eye.

"Be on your guard," I repeated to him.

"Got it," Kage said, then slid his goggles over his gray eyes.

Raven and I hurried back into the pits and sat at the diagnostics station I'd set up earlier today.

"Ready." the mechanical voice of the countdown rang out. "Set." the clock tolled. "Duel."

Both duel runners shot forward, and Kage swung the first turn.

"I draw! From my hand, I summon the tuner monster, Dark Resonator! Next, I activate the trap card, Ultimate Offerings! Once per turn, I can pay 500 life points to normal summon another monster this turn!"

"He's Synchro Summoning on his first turn," Raven said. "Guess he wasn't lying about practicing."

"Kage'll do anything you tell him to if it involves dueling," I replied. "But he should still stay on guard."

"I summon Armageddon Knight in attack mode! Now I tune level 3 Dark Resonator with level 5 Armageddon Knight; let the shadows course forward and envelop all trace of light! I Synchro Summon Shadow Void Dragon!"

The crowd roared at such a powerful monster being summoned on the first turn.

"Now I play two cards face down and end my turn!"

The big muscled man drew a card. I checked the roster; apparently, his name was Mo.

"I summon Pyramid Turtle in attack mode!"

"Pyramid Turtle?" Raven questioned. "That's a much lower-level monster than Shadow-Void Dragon. It doesn't possibly stand a chance."

"That guy's gotta be more than just muscle," I said. "He must have something up his sleeve."

"Pssh," Raven retorted. "He isn't even _wearing_ sleeves."

I glared; Raven turned back to watch the duel.

Pyramid Turtle, against Shadow-Void Dragon, had an attack-point difference of 1300. He wouldn't just dish that out for nothing.

Pyramid Turtle charged forward, but was immediately destroyed by its own attack without dealing any damage to anyone but himself. Out of the cloud of smoke, Mo had played a trap card.

"I activate the trap card, Dimension Wall!"

"This can't be good," Raven commented.

"He's using a Burn Deck," I realized.

"When I'm about to take damage, you take it for me!"

Kage's duel runner shuddered under the attack, but he held on.

"However, my monster is still destroyed; But Pyramid Turtle's effect allows me to summon another monster out onto the field, as long as it has 2000 or less DEF points! Come on out, Ryu Kokki!"

"A monster with 2400 ATK points," Raven said. "He can take down Shadow-Void Dragon now..."

"Ryu Kokki, attack Shadow-Void Dragon!"

"I activate the trap card, Nightmare Wheel!"

"All right, Kage!" Raven cheered. I, on the other hand, wondered what Mo would do about this next turn. I tried to think like Yusei did, think one step ahead of my opponent and three steps ahead of myself. In this case, one step ahead of Mo and three steps ahead of Kage.

Knowing Kage, he'd set up another couple of beatsticks with that trap of his, maybe even another Synchro, and set traps for Mo to fall into. Then again, he could do something no one expects as well...

Mo would try and take out Shadow-Void Dragon with another clever combo or set of high-level monsters. Kage might try to take out Ryu Kokki this next turn, and Mo would be ready for him.

Thinking like Yusei must take him hours...

"Due to this trap, your monster can't attack or change battle positions!"

"I place two cards face down and end my turn."

It was Kage's turn now. "I'll begin with activating the effect of Nightmare Wheel! Every Standby Phase of mine that passes, you take 500 points of damage!"

I'd seen that coming... Maybe he'd try and summon another tribute, take out Ryu Kokki with a trap, deal more damage...

"I summon Doomcaliber Knight in attack mode!" Kage quickly set another facedown. "Now Shadow-Void Dragon, attack Ryu Kokki!"

"I activate the trap card, Wakobu! Due to its effect, I take no damage this turn and my monsters can't be destroyed as a result!"

I thought I saw Kage curse. "I place one card facedown and end my turn."

"I draw!" Mo glanced at his hand once before making his move. "I summon Plaguespreader Zombie in attack mode! Now, I activate the trap, Call of the Haunted!"

"Isn't that a forbidden card?" Raven asked skeptically.

"It's as forbidden as Stardust Dragon," I commented curtly.

"Come back to the field, Pyramid Turtle! Now, I tune level 2 Plaguespreader Zombie with level 4 Pyramid Turtle to Synchro Summon Revived King Ha Des!"

That was a tough monster...

"Revived King Ha Des, attack Shadow-Void Dragon!"

"I activate the trap card, Negate Attack! Your attack is negated, and the battle phase is ended!"

"I activate the counter trap, Counter Counter! Due to this card's effect, I can negate the activation of a trap card and destroy it!"

Kage took 50 points in damage as Shadow-Void Dragon was destroyed, but that didn't look like it was stopping him just yet.

"I activate the Speed Spell, A Deal With The Dark Ruler! If I have three or more Speed Counters, I can summon Berserk Dragon to the field!"

"Yes!" Raven punched the air. "Way to go, Kage! Good comeback!"

Mo, realizing there was nothing more he could do, set a face down and ended his turn.

"It's my turn!" Kage made it clear. "And this is where it ends! First, due to the effect of Nightmare Wheel, you take 500 points of damage!"

Mo's life points dropped to 3000.

"Now, by removing three Fiend-type monsters in my Graveyard from play, I can summon to the field Dark Necrofear!"

I saw it by now, as I'm sure the rest of Team Fortune Ark did-if Mo didn't have a counter trap, the duel was as good as Kage's.

"Now, I activate Dark Necrofear's special effect! By sending it to the Graveyard, I can take control of your Ryu Kokki! Plus, because it's switching sides, Nightmare Wheel is automaticaly destroyed due to its own effect!"

I could see Kage winning this duel.

"Now, Berserk Dragon, swoop in for a direct attack!"

"I activate the trap, Solemn Judgement! By paying half of my life points, I can negate your attack and destroy the attacking monster!"

"I activate the counter trap, Trap Jammer! If my opponent activates a trap during the Battle Phase, I can negate its activation and destroy it!"

Mo had already paid the half of his 3000 life points, and he wasn't getting it back. His duel runner skidded to a stop and swerved before he pulled over.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer boomed. "the first duel of this prelim belongs to Kage Tanimaka of Team Sterling! In an incredible move, he has taken down Mo of Team Fortune Ark!"

Kage took a victory lap and gave Raven and me the peace sign on his way back around.

"Can Team Fortune Ark's Pratik catch up?"

The shorter, slimmer-but-still-muscled second man of Team Fortune Ark mounted a similar-looking duel runner and sped forward, meeting Kage in a quick movement.

"My move!" Pratik declared. "First, I activate the trap card, Level Limit- Area B! Due to the effect of this trap, all monsters we have over Level 4 are switched into Defense mode and cannot be switched out!"

That rendered Ryu Kokki and Berserk Dragon useless... For the moment. I could count on Kage to pull something out of nowhere.

"Next, I summon Des Wombat in attack mode! Now, I place two cards face down and end my turn."

"My draw!" Kage rounded the first turn. "Since I can't summon anything over Level 4... I think I'll summon Sangan in attack mode!"

"Sangan?" Raven questioned. "I think that's Kage's new low..."

"He must've done his homework like we told him to," I replied. "because I looked through his deck a couple weeks ago, and I didn't see that card."

"Then what's he getting at?"

"Probably stalling until he can take out that Level Limit- Area B."

"Now I re-activate the effect of my continuous trap, Ultimate Offering! By paying 800 life points, I can summon another monster this turn! I'll set it face down in defense position, along with a face down! Your turn!"

"Draw! I summon Des Lacooda in attack mode! Now, I activate the trap card, Brain Control! I'll be taking Ryu Kokki back, thanks!"

"What's that gonna do?" Raven asked. "He's already got that Level Limiter up."

"Now, I activate the Speed Spell, Secret Pass to the Treasure! If I have four or more Speed Counters, I can choose a monster on my side of the field that can attack you directly! Go, Ryu Kokki!"

"I activate the trap, Mirror Wall! I can halve the attack of one monster during the Battle Phase only!"

Kage still took the 1200 points in damage, but it left him intact with 500 life points left.

"I end my turn with one face down!" if he got a Speed Spell... Kage would be a goner. He had to finish this soon.

"Okay!" Kage said. "It ends here! I draw! First, I activate the trap card, Heavy Storm! All trap cards on the field are destroyed!"

Pratik obviously wasn't happy about this; it would be a quick duel, but obviously, playboy Kage wanted to win with more flair.

"I activate the trap card, Lightning Vortex! All monsters on the field are destroyed!"

"Ooh, he's gonna do something!" Raven said excitedly.

"Now, because there are exactly three dark type monsters in my Graveyard, I can summon Dark Armed Dragon!"

I smirked a little. "And the duel belongs to..."

"Now, I activate the trap, Overflowing Treasure! One monster on my field gains 500 attack points for every card we have in our hands! Because together, we have five cards..."

"Quit stalling, Kage!" Raven shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth to project her voice. I laughed lightly.

"Dark Armed Dragon, finish this!"

Pratik's life points were decimated instantly; his duel runner screeched to a stop, and Raven and I cheered.

"Wow, Raven!" I said. "You might not even have to suit up for this one!"

"Let's hope so," Raven sighed.

"Well, you might be the one to finish it, Kage might not be able to hold out with just 500 more life points."

"I'll be ready," she promised.

The little woman, Tamina, mounted her duel runner and sped up to Kage. "You're a clever duelist, my friend; unfortunately, your lucky streak ends here!"

"She's awfully concieted for someone who has one turn to build her defense against Dark Armed Dragon," Raven commented.

_ I don't think she was kidding_, I thought, but stayed quiet in order to stay concentrated on the duel.

"I draw!" the woman said in a commanding, exotic accent. "I activate the speed spell, Brain Control! When I have three or more speed counters, I can take control of one monster on your field! Dark Armed Dragon, kneel before me!"

"Oh, this can't be good." If she had a Speed Spell, why didn't she just use Speed World 2? She probably wanted to finish with flair.

"Calm down, Raven," I said, although I felt a little worried as well. "Kage still has a face-down monster."

"Now, I summon Howling Insect! Then, I activate the speed spell, Offerings to the Doomed! By giving up the rest of my inherited speed counters, I can destroy one monster on the field and its owner gains a thousand life points!"

"Well..." Raven sighed. "at least she's out of speed counters."

"Something tells me she's got something else up her sleeve."

"I'll destroy Howling Insect! Now, by activating its special ability from the Graveyard, I can summon another insect-type monster from my hand or deck!"

"She's doing something, all right," I grumbled.

"I summon Flying Kamakiri #1! Now, I activate the trap, Raigeki Break! By discarding a card from my hand, I can destroy one card on the field; I choose Flying Kamakiri #1!"

"She's only got one more card in her hand," I murmured.

"Now, because I have two WIND type monsters in my Graveyard, I can summon Desert Twister!"

"Kage's _toast_," I grumbled.

"Desert Twister, attack that facedown monster!"

"I activate the effect of my facedown monster, Night Assailant! I can destroy one monster you control and send it to my hand! Come on back, Dark Armed Dragon!"

Desert Twister remained at a higher ATK, and Night Assailant was sent to the Graveyard-however, Kage had bought himself some time.

"I place one card face down and end my turn."

Kage drew his card. "My turn! When there are three or more dark monsters in my Graveyard, I can summon Dark Armed Dragon back to the field! Dark Armed Dragon, attack with Malevolent Umbra Pulsar!"

"I activate the trap, Mirror Force! When a monster attacks, I can destroy all monsters on your side of the field!"

"I place two cards facedown and end my turn..."

"My turn!" Tamina declared. "I will begin with activating the Speed Spell, Snake Charmer! With this, I can summon a certain number of Snake tokens, then steal some of your Speed Counters equal to the number of tokens I've just summoned!"

She was going to use Speed World 2... Obviously, she'd gotten sick of Kage's dueling style and wanted to see Raven's and mine.

"Now, I activate the effect of Speed World 2! By sacrificing 4 of my Speed Counters, you take 800 points of damage!"

Kage was blasted with fog as his duel runner dragged to a stop, and he pulled slowly into the lane to pass the baton to Raven.

"Sorry 'bout that guys," Kage said. "I'll do better next time."

"Don't sweat it," I said. "We only have one opponent left. We'll get through this."

Raven nodded at him, slapped on our patch, and pulled out.

"I'll draw!" Raven said, drawing her hand. "I'll begin with summoning Sonic Duck! Then, I'll place one card facedown and end my turn!"

"My turn," Tamina sighed, as I'd she was bored. "I think I'll activate the trap card, End of the World!"

"What does that do?" Kage asked me.

"I'm not sure," I said. "But nothing good, most likely."

"By releasing all monsters on my field, I can summon Ruin, Queen of Oblivion!"

"Told you," I sighed.

"Ruin, Queen of Oblivion; destroy that pitiful hatchling!"

"I activate the trap card, Ninjitsu Art of Transformation! Due to this card, I can summon to the field one level 4 or below monster from my hand in Defense mode to take this blow for me!" Raven tossed down a card. "I summon Flying Kamakiri #1!"

I'd known Raven had that card... Unfortunately, she and Tamina both had it. It wasn't an unusual card to have in a Wind-type deck. At least Tamina knew what it did.

Kamakiri was destroyed; "I activate Flying Kamakiri #1's special ability! When it is destroyed, I can summon a level 4 or below monster to the field! Rise and take flight, Sonic Shooter!"

"I will place one card facedown and end my turn."

"My draw!" Raven declared. "I think I'll start with setting a monster in facedown Defense position! Then, I'll activate Sonic Shooter's special effect! I can attack you directly, as well as destroy all spells and traps you currently control!"

Tamina took the full 1300, with nothing else to counter with, and Raven ended her turn.

"I draw! Now, I will activate the trap, Changing Destiny! I can add one monster from my deck to my hand, and then I can summon it! Come to me, Criosphinx!"

Big monster. I hoped Raven could take it out.

"And, due to Criosphix's special ability, I can now summon Hieracosphinx! Hieracosphinx, attack Sonic Shooter with Desert Storm!"

Raven took the brunt of 1000, and Criosphinx came back with a hit of 400 on Sonic Duck.

"Ruin, lay waste to her facedown!"

"I flip summon my monster, Slate Warrior! Due to its effect, it gains 500 ATK and DEF, and your monster loses 500 ATK points!"

Ruin was sent to the Graveyard, and Tamina took 500 points of damage. "I place a card facedown and end my turn..."

"It's my turn, then!"

"Raven is really getting into this duel, isn't she?" Kage asked.

"I think I'm starting to understand her strategy," I replied. "Even if Raven does lose, I think I can take her down."

"I summon Soldier of Mist Valley in Attack mode!"

"A Tuner!" Kage celebrated. "Now she's gonna bring out her ace!"

"Now, I'll tune Soldier of Mist Valley with Slate Warrior! Spread your wings and take to the skies, Simorgh, Bird of Divinity!"

"All right, Raven!" Kage shouted.

"But I'm not finished yet! I activate the Speed Spell, Harpies' Hunting Ground! By removing 3 of my Speed Counters, this allows me to summon Harpie Lady 1, Harpie Lady 2, and Harpie Lady 3 to my field from my hand or deck!" Raven tossed the cards down quickly, picking up another. "Then, I'll activate the trap, Elegant Egotist! I can now also summon Harpie Lady Sisters to the field!

"Simorgh, Bird of Divinity, cut Hieracosphinx down to size! Heaven's Wrath!"

Tamina took the 500 points with gritted teeth.

"Harpie Lady Sisters, destroy Criosphinx! Go, Gemini Burst!"

Tamina received the 200 points in damage again, leaving her with 2000 life points left over. Raven was left at 2700.

"I place one card facedown and end my turn!"

"It ends now, little bird!" Tamina said. "I will activate the Speed Spell, Detrivore! By sacrificing all 12 of my speed counters, I can destroy all monsters on the field, and you take damage equal to their attack points!"

"Hold it, I activate the trap, Icarus Attack! By releasing one monster on my field, I can negate the attack and end the battle phase!"

"Not when I have the Ordeal of a Traveler's trap card! Because of this, your trap is negated!"

Raven took the full 3200 points and her duel runner let out puffs of white smoke, trailing back to the lanes.

I clasped on my armor (there was a lot of it), and Raven pulled in behind me.

I mounted my duel runner, and Raven handed me the patch. "Sorry, Silvan. I just couldn't take her down."

"That's all right, Raven," I said. "At least you cut her down a notch." in a sense, we were staring the duel over. Raven had left Tamina with no Speed Counters and no cards on the field.

Revving my engine, I sped onto the track to match Tamina's speed. "I apologize for my team. We appear to have been taking your skill as a duelist for granted," I told her. "I also need to apologize for your imminent defeat."

"You talk big for such a small woman," she replied. "I'm afraid I will be taking home a victory today."

"We'll see," I said, and drew my hand. "The first move is mine! I summon Machina Peacekeeper in Defense mode! Now, I'll place one card facedown and end my turn!"

"I summon Golem Sentry in attack mode!" she declared. "Due to its effect, I can attack you directly!"

"Hold on," I said. "I activate my Peacekeeper's special effect! Because of this, I can't be attacked directly by any card effect or monster effect until this little guy is removed from the field!"

I watched Peacekeeper be destroyed, and I took no damage.

"I place one card facedown and end my turn," she sighed.

"My draw, then!" I saw my strategy falling into place. "I activate my Peacekeeper's effect! Once it's in the Graveyard, it allows me to summon another Machine-type monster from my deck or hand! C'mon out, Machina Gearframe!"

My favorite card, equivalent to Yusei's Speed Warrior, or Leo's Celfon, or Crow's Bora the Spear.

"Now, my Gearframe's special effect! Once it's summoned to the field, I can add another monster from my deck or Graveyard to my hand! Now, by discarding two Machina-type monsters from my hand to my Graveyard, I can summon out Machina Fortress!"

Now my Junk Warrior/Mad Archfiend/Blackwing Armor Master was taking the field. Due to its ability, I could bring out my ace in the next turn and quickly end this duel.

"Shake, rattle, and roll, Machina Fortress! Take out Golem Sentry with Tank Barrage!"

"I activate the trap card, Mirror Force! With this, I can destroy all monsters on your side of the field once you make an attack on me!"

"I trigger Machina Gearframe's special effect! If a Machina monster on my side of the field should be destroyed, Machina Gearframe takes the fall for it!"

Tamina took the 1300 points in damage; she was left with 1700.

"Now, I'll place two cards facedown and end my turn!"

I went over the battle strategy in my mind. Tamina's dueling plan consisted of bringing out high-level monsters before her opponent could, then using counter traps and speed spells to get what she wanted. Now, because I had a high level monster on my field and three facedowns, she would no doubt try to take it down with a clever trap or effect.

But I was ready for her.

"It is my turn, little mechanic!" she called at me, and I had a feeling she'd done some research on me. "I activate the trap card, Pyramid of Light! Due to this card's effect, for the simple payment of 500 life points, I can summon Sphinx Teleia from my deck or hand! Unfortunately, it can't attack this turn, but once I have a Sphinx monster on my field, I can special summon Exxod, Master of the Guard!"

It was a big monster, with 4000 DEF points, but it's effect was the only thing to be afraid of. I'd have to end this thing next turn.

"Due to Exxod's effect, I can summon an Earth-type monster in face down defense position, then flip it face-up to deal you 1000 points of damage!"

"I activate the trap card, Defense Draw! It decreases all damage I take from a card's effect to 0!"

Tamina played a facedown. "No matter! Next turn, I can deal you twice the pain!"

"I draw!" this is where it would end. "I'll begin with activating the effect of my Gearframe in my Graveyard! By removing Gearframe from play, I can summon out a Machine-type monster from my Graveyard! Come out, Machina Soldier!"

The pieces were all falling into place now, I could see it.

"Now, because of Machina Soldier's effect, I can also summon Machina Sniper to the field!"

2 out of 3...

"Next, by removing Machina Peacekeeper in my Graveyard from play, I'm allowed to summon Machina Defender!"

"Are you finished yet?" Tamina sighed, sounding bored.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I couldn't help retorting. "I didn't realize the ending of this duel was so unimportant to you!"

I didn't let her answer again, because the crowd was still holding its breath for what was going to happen next.

"Because of Machina Defender's special effect, I can now summon out Commander Covington!"

Here it was: the end of the duel.

"Now, Defender, Sniper, Soldier, Covington; off to the Grave with you! It won't be in vain though, because you'll just be vital gears in one big machine! Rise, Machina Force!"

I heard Raven and Kage shouting my way, cheering, because they already knew the duel was ours. There was no trap or spell in this spoiled princess' deck that could stop my ace. If there was, I was ready for it.

"Now, remember that 1000 life points you almost took from me last turn? Well, I'm using it for something more important now! By paying that 1000 life points, I can attack you directly!"

I saw the defeat on her face, and I knew I'd been right.

"Time for a tune up, Machina Force! Ultimate Cannon!"

Tamina's duel runner spit smoke, and I took a sharp turn around the track, pulling back into our lane.

Raven and Kage tackled me in a hug as the announcer blared: "Incredible, folks! Team Fortune Ark's desert beasts were no match for Silvan Levine's mechanical mastery! This victory goes to Team Sterling!"

Our first duel had gone swimmingly, if I do say so myself.

"This calls for a celebration!" Kage declared.

"So soon?" I asked, smiling.

"Well, it's the first of many! We might as well give ourselves a proper reward!"

"Fine, fine," I laughed.

Raven and Kage were so busy celebrating that they hadn't noticed Team 5D's joining in, all except Yusei, who seemed somewhat content with just watching me forget why I'd been so hurt earlier.

At least, for now.

**Welp. Told you Silvan would be bitching about the Stardust thing for a couple more chapters. She'll be complaining only for one more chapter, don't worry. It all gets cleared up.**

**Like I said before, my friend Tristan created Kage, and my awesome BFF Nikki created Raven- they were both the creators of their decks, which made it even more fun to create this duel.**

**Silvan's deck is actually my favorite deck (Machina) and I actually found out about it in the DS game, Reverse of Arcadia :3**

**Welp, hope you enjoyed!**

**See ya! ;D**

**-Eibon**


	11. Benevolence

Misery Business

**Here is chapter 10! Silvan gets over herself in this chapter. It also gets a little more interesting...**

**Enjooiiiiiiii :D**

Chapter 10: Benevolence

"A toast!" Kage declared. He'd broken out the fancy bubbling water for this. Freaking _rich_ _kids_. "to Team Sterling, and many more victories!"

Kage had insisted we celebrate at his place; Raven and I had agreed, since we were both Satellite kids and Raven and I both lived in a garage.

"Here here!" Raven called, smiling.

"There's more where that came from," I replied.

"Damn straight!" Kage said jokingly.

I laughed, and Kage sat back down again. "We keep this up, and Akiza will totally notice me!"

"Kage," I said. "Quit bothering poor Akiza."

"There is nothing legalized that says I can't."

"Uh, there's this thing," I retorted. "called sexual harassment, which you could technically be tried for."

"Pssh, you don't know that's a real thing..."

"Yeah, it is. It happens to me all the time."

"Whatever," he grumbled, ignoring me.

Raven and I giggled emphatically.

"Well," I sighed, standing up. "I should probably head back to HQ. Trudge raised my curfew to 10."

"Aw, that's lame."

I rolled my eyes, since I was the one who had to live with it and Kage was starting to sound like every other teenager since the dawn of time.

"You guys should think of doing the same," I continued. "we have another race tomorrow, we should turn in early."

Raven got up. "Good idea."

"Heyy, are you guys ditching me?"

I laughed. "Yes."

"Okay, whatever."

Raven and I laughed and traipsed outside, where the sun had finally set.

"So, um," Raven stuttered as I was putting my helmet on. "Yusei came and talked to me today when you were out on the track."

I froze, where I'd been sitting on my duel runner. "...What did he say?"

"He's worried about you," she answered. "Is there something up?" I tried to formulate an answer as quickly as I possibly could, but she noticed my silence. "There's something up, isn't there?"

"...there's nothing wrong."

"No, there's something."

Raven had been my first close friend who was my same gender. I could usually tell her everything. I was often one for keeping my secrets close and letting them lock me down while I suffered, so I didn't tell her much when I knew I should.

"...Are you going to tell me, or not?"

"...Sorry, Raven. But this is something I have to deal with on my own."

Raven gave me a coarse, bitter look. "Of course. When has it ever been any different?"

I gritted my teeth; now she'd pissed me off. "Well, thanks for being so understanding." the sarcasm in my voice dripped, and I sped away, scattering dust behind me.

My friends had known me long enough to understand that sometimes, I needed my space; more often than not, I'd be stubborn about keeping myself isolated when I had something bugging me.

I had that habit, and sometimes I blamed Yusei for it. He did the same thing, just locked himself away and let his troubles eat at him. I seemed to inherit a lot from him.

Why didn't they just respect that?! Couldn't they see that I needed to handle this by myself instead of troubling them with it?!

I pulled up to Security and the guy at the front gate recognized my duel runner and let me in without any hassle.

Good. I didn't want anyone else on my case tonight. My good mood had already been spoiled.

I rolled my duel runner into the garage, running a hand through my tangled hair, and mixed feelings churned in my stomach when I saw the red duel runner parked beside where mine usually was.

He was already there, sitting on the couch, his cool blue eyes watching me expectantly.

"What are you doing here?" I sighed, trying to keep a level head.

"What's wrong?"

"Go home, Yusei."

"Not until you tell me what the problem is."

"Then I guess you'll be spending the night here." I left my helmet on the seat of my duel runner and ambled to the couch, gesturing him over. "Move over."

Then I curled up on the side of the couch opposite him and closed my eyes, tired of this day.

I'd gotten considerably used to my nightmares, to the point where I expected what would happen and didn't even try to break out of them. So tonight, I just sat and watched Akiza bring out Stardust, again and again and again. And then I was back in Satellite, watching Yusei leave me without saying anything. I let the cold, frigid feelings grip me and take me past the point of no return, uncaringly shedding tears on the past.

Why should I care what anyone else thought? They'd just forget about me anyway. That's what always happened...

I rolled out of bed early, and noticed that Yusei was gone. I wasn't sure how long he'd been away, but he'd probably finally realized that l wanted my space.

It was a stupid thing to get mad over, really. I probably should apologize to Raven and to Yusei.

There was a sheepish knock on the metal door, and I got up quickly, shaking out my hair before going to answer it.

I opened the door, and it wasn't who I'd expected.

"Akiza?" I asked, confused.

"Hi Silvan," she said. "May I come in?"

Wordlessly, but still puzzled, I moved out of the way and she came into the garage; I watched her survey the little space and sigh.

"What?" I asked.

Her eyes were on my duel runner, hooked up to my laptop. "Just by standing and looking, I can tell what an impact he's had on you."

Of course, I knew what she was talking about.

"Not just an impact," I replied. "He made me who I am. Gave me a purpose to exist."

"How so?"

"Without Yusei," I explained. "the person you see in front of you right now... Well, she wouldn't exist."

"I know what you mean."

I laughed a little, sarcastically, and she looked at me. "The last time we were able to talk like this was when we first met, and neither of us even knew the other knew him."

"Silvan, what are you to Yusei?"

The question took me by surprise, even though I'd seen it coming.

"I... I'm not sure. What are YOU to Yusei?"

"I don't know either."

"Well, then, let me rephrase the question. What is he to you?"

When Akiza didn't answer, I decided to answer myself.

"In a sense, Yusei is all I have. He made me who I am, sort of gave me life. After doing something so great for me, it's the least I can do to give him my life, the one he's created for me, and let him do what he wants with it."

"You trust him that much?"

"Don't you?"

She was silent, amber eyes thoughtful.

I sighed. "I've always had this notion, this sort of awkward feeling that he sort of owns me... You know?"

"What does that mean?"

"I'm his. I'll be whatever he wants me to be. I feel so indebted to him, I'm just okay with that."

Akiza sighed. "Can I tell you the truth?"

"To be totally truthful myself, that's what I've been wanting since the day things went sour between us."

"I don't like the way he looks at you."

That cold irony sort of made me laugh.

"In fact, I really hate it."

"Don't worry. The feeling is very much mutual."

"But it's like you said," she protested. "I can't help but make myself watch him look at you. It's like he does feel this sense of ownership, when you leave and he looks after you like he wants to make you come back. And when you're around him, he becomes a totally different person..."

"I don't mean that much to him," I sighed. I couldn't tell if that statement was true, or if I was just lying to myself.

"You're right. You mean everything."

Akiza's voice became bitter, and I raised my defenses, ready to snap back if she decided to turn on me here.

"For starters, look at this place." she gestured around at the garage, and I wondered where she was taking this. "He could drag his duel runner in here and live life like he never left his own garage."

I looked around. It was true, in a sense. I was as much into this stuff as he was.

"We're both psychic," she stated. "But mine has impacted my life hugely. Yours only showed up recently."

"That's not true," I protested. "I can't tell if my abilities have impacted me for better or for worse... But I've had them since I was little. Just after my brother disappeared."

At that point, Akiza made some weird nosing of defeat and slumped on the ground, her face in her hands.

"What?" I pressed. "It's the truth."

"I'm sorry," she whimpered. "I'm so, so sorry."

"Sorry for what?!" I exclaimed.

"Evan. That's his name, isn't it?"

I froze. "...What?"

"When you came... Sayer, he knew about you. He knew about your powers, and he said we were similar because you had a mark like mine."

"I don't have a-"

"Not from the Crimson Dragon," she interrupted. "A different one. It was supposed to be powerful too, but I can't remember that much... He said you'd been abandoned, orphaned as a child and he'd come to save you from Satellite."

"Save me?"

"But he said you had bad people protecting you, and he had to save you from them too. But he saved the wrong person..."

Oh. _Oh_. The pieces were falling into place. I was too focused, too confused to cry. "So... The man who came to the door and took my brother..."

Was Sayer.

I couldn't process it at first, because I was still trying to do the calculations in my head. What had Evan done?

Then I got it.

"Sayer didn't "save" the wrong person on accident," I said. "Stupid, clever Evan... God_damn_ you!" I hoped he could hear me. "He probably just made a deal with Sayer... Asked him to take him instead of me. You're wrong."

Akiza looked up. "About what?"

"My powers have affected my life. They took my brother from me. Yours took your life from you, and in a way, we are the same."

"How so?"

"Well, Sayer kind of ruined both our lives, didn't he?" I said sourly, smiling. "But there's an upside to this."

"What's that?"

"Isn't he technically the reason you met Yusei?"

"...I guess so."

"And when he took my brother... Yusei took his place. I guess we can thank him. Wherever he is."

What had this come to? Akiza had come to talk about Yusei, and we'd ended up talking about my brother.

"I guess I can't call it unfair."

"Call what unfair?" I asked.

"You did know him first."

"But he trusted you with Stardust first." it slipped out accidentally.

"W-What?"

"I've been dwelling on it for a few days, actually. It's really dumb, but it's been bothering me. Yesterday, Yusei let you borrow Stardust for your duel. He trusted you enough to put his most precious card in your hands, and it hurt me that he didn't trust me that much."

"Silvan," Akiza scoffed. "You might be the only other living being besides Yusei who has actually touched his duel runner."

Well, I had helped to build it. That was true.

"This is a problem that's probably better left unsolved," I sighed.

"I'd guess so. I'm sorry for coming here unannounced. I just wanted to get some things off of my chest."

"That's all right," I replied. "I feel better now too."

Akiza wobbled to her feet. "And one more thing... About the guy on your team..."

"Who, Kage? Has he been bothering you?"

"...Not really. But what does he want with me?"

I giggled. "Let's just say... Pretend you're Yusei and pretend he's Akiza."

"Oh."

"Yep. Neeeeeever shuts up about you."

I noticed Akiza blush for a moment, and then she coughed and pulled herself back to reality. "Well, um, thanks Silvan."

"No problem."

With that, Akiza left as quickly and abruptly as she'd come, and I felt like, since Akiza had come to pay it forward, I should do the same for Raven and Yusei.

It quickly occurred to me: if Yusei didn't exist, Akiza and I might've been best friends.

I pulled up in front of the beat up little garage in downtown DAIMON, where Raven had roomed with a guy called Blister.

Nervously, I knocked on the door and waited. It wasn't Raven who opened the door.

The guy who answered me was probably best described as a full-grown man, with messy brown hair and dark eyes, and waaaaaaaay taller than me. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah, I'm looking for Ravelin Kido?"

"Who's asking?"

"My name is Silvan," I replied indifferently. "Silvan Levine."

He looked me up and down. "Wait here."

Raven might not let me in... I sat down, cross-legged, and listened through the thin metal door of the garage. I could hear them now.

"There's someone at the door for you," I heard the man's voice, nonchalant and aloof.

"Yeah? Who?"

"Someone named Silvan."

There was a long moment of silence before Raven replied, "What does she want?"

"Do you want me to ask?"

"I'd like to apologize," I called through the door. "For being stupid and not letting you in. And if you still want to know, I'll tell you whatever you want."

Raven let out a long sigh, and I imagined her rolling her violet eyes in a wide circle. Then she opened the door for me.

"You're such a bitch," she laughed, helping me up off of the ground. "You know that?"

"Yeah," I sighed. "I know. I think I deserved that."

"Blister," she called. "I'm going out for a little bit."

"Don't get arrested."

Raven shut the door behind her and we walked nonchalantly down the block, while I explained everything to her-from Stardust, to Akiza coming to talk to me this morning.

"I know, I know, it's stupid," I finished. "And I get that now."

"Wow, Silvan," Raven sighed. "Took ya that long, huh?"

"Yep."

"Well, I'm glad you've figured it out. I just wish you'd be less difficult when you've got something on your mind. It frustrates me when you keep it in like that."

"Well. Now you sound like Yusei."

"You should go see him next."

"I was planning on it... But we have a race in a few hours."

"No we don't," Raven said. "There was a team that was disqualified, so we were re-bracketed. Team Unicorn is racing Team Catastrophe today. Right now, actually."

"Well, who are we racing?"

"We race Team Unity tomorrow."

"Team Unity?"

"I dunno. A couple of guys and some English girl."

"Greeeeeat," I grumbled, running a hand through my bangs.

"On the bright side, we can kick back and recuperate today."

"Good point."

"Well, don't just stand here," Raven pushed me towards my duel runner. "Go apologize to your man."

"He's not my man," I mumbled, blushing.

Raven giggled as I drove away. I rode onto the main highway, and my thoughts raced.

I was lucky she was so forgiving, otherwise, I'd be feeling even worse.

Suddenly, I felt a vision coming on. I tried to pull over before it consumed me, but it was too late.

The memory was hazy, difficult to see, but I was able to make out a strange looking man in a white robe handing a card to a Satellite man with dark hair and a pointed beard. I couldn't make out the name on the card, but I saw that it depicted a monster with hooks for hands.

The memory faded quicker than it should've, and I blinked wildly to take myself back to reality and to the road.

That's when I felt a jerk on the back of my duel runner, like my wheels had locked, throwing me back and forcing my front wheel up over the back one.

It had happened as quickly as my accident with Krystal, and the first thought that ran through my head was that I was going to get a lot more than a broken arm this time.

Then it happened; I'd almost missed it. A flash of green light. It enveloped me for a split second, and I thought I saw a strange marking through the glow. When I could see again, I found myself staring at my duel runner from a few feet away.

I sat, immobilized, on the concrete, just staring at my wrecked duel runner and marveling at how I'd so narrowly avoided another trip to the hospital.

"Silvan!"

Strong arms heaved me up off of the ground, and Yusei pulled me tightly to his chest, almost protectively. "Are you all right?!"

"W-What just happened?" I asked, puzzled. "My poor duel runner..."

"Never mind that!" he pressed. "Are you hurt?"

"N-No," I stuttered. "I'm fine, I think..."

"Thank God," he sighed, keeping me closely pressed to him.

"I'm sorry I pushed you away yesterday," I murmured against his chest. "I was mad about something really stupid."

"What's that?"

"I was afraid you were going to leave me again."

"Wherever I'm going, I'm taking you with me," he promised. "and vice versa."

"I know," I sighed.

When he was finished hugging me, he still kept me at a close distance to him, with at least one arm around me.

I took off my helmet and rested it under the crook of my elbow. Together, we stared at my wrecked duel runner.

"I'm going to have to fix that," I sighed.

"I'll help," he assured me. "You have another race tomorrow, an extra pair of hands will do you good."

"Thanks, Yusei."

"No problem."

"What are you doing here?" I asked sheepishly. "I was just coming over to you."

"I'm partly glad they re-bracketed the races," he answered bitterly. "This morning, Team Unicorn went up against Team Catastrophe, and André and Jean were both put in the hospital. Breo came to us, and we figured out that Team Catastrophe is up to something.

"They crashed Akiza, too." his voice was cynical; he pointed across the way, where a tow was pulling Bloody Kiss onto a flatbed.

"Is she okay?" I asked. He was obviously trying to get his point across, that he was glad that I wasn't hurt, but still angsty about everyone else's injuries.

"She's in a coma; I hope she's doing well..." I noticed him trail off; he was worried about her. Maybe I could help her somehow. "We all saw what happened to you..." Yusei's arm tightened around my waist.

"I don't even remember what happened," I mumbled. "I had a vision just a few seconds before, and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground."

"What did you see?"

"There was this weird guy in a white robe or something... He was giving this other guy a card; I couldn't read the name, but it was a monster with hook hands."

"Silvan, I think you may be onto something. C'mon."

The nice guy driving the tow truck promised to drop Argent off at HQ, and I sat behind Yusei with my arms wrapped around his waist while he drove back to Poppo Time.

"It's good to see you again, Silvan," Breo greeted me once we'd all unloaded.

"Hey, Breo," I said pleasantly; I had a feeling that this wasn't any time to get soft at his comments during the WRGP. "How are you?"

"I'm well. How are you?"

"Aside from almost getting crushed by a duel runner for a second time? Just _peachy_."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"S'okay, Breo. Let's see that tape."

Bruno was already running it on the guys' computer, looking at André and Jean's crashes next to one another.

"They're both after the summon of the monster, 'Hook the Hidden Knight,'" Bruno explained.

"That was it!" I exclaimed. "That was the monster on the card in my vision!"

"There's the same unexpected drop in the duel runner memories for both times of the crashes," Bruno exclaimed.

"I remember there was something that pulled me back and then shoved me up and over," I replied. "I think my wheels locked or something."

Yusei's arm, already wrapped tightly around my waist, tightened. What was on his mind, I wondered?

"The hook," Bruno answered. "It must've hooked onto the back wheel somehow... There's memory on Jean and Andre's duel runners that their wheels locked up, too."

"My monsters can deal actual damage sometimes, but only when I want them too. Maybe one of them is psychic?"

"I don't think so," Bruno answered. "There would be a frequency detecting it."

"So... That's not a normal monster?" I asked.

"I don't think so."

I thought for a moment, trying to deduce what was going to happen next.

"Well, we have to expose them!" Crow pointed out. "That's technically cheating isn't it?"

"We can't prove that for sure, Crow," Yusei told him, but I had a feeling he agreed with him. "The best way to handle this is to just beat them tomorrow."

"You could get hurt too," I grumbled, displeased with this suggestion.

"We'll be fine," he assured me.

"In that case, I'm not missing out," Crow got up from where he'd been sitting and rubbed gingerly at his injured shoulder. "I'm pretty sure these guys caused me to crash, too. I'm not letting them get away with it."

"But, Crow," I said. "Your shoulder..."

"It's fine, see?" he moved it a little and tried to hide his cringe. "Got a doctor's note and everything!"

I sighed. "Crow, I'm only on your side because I know the feeling."

"Don't put yourself in danger, Crow," Yusei said. "If you're not fully healed-"

"I'm fine, I swear! I'm dueling in this race whether anyone likes it or not!"

Knowing no one could argue with that logic, Bruno continued looking at all the data he'd collected from the two duel runners, and I watched Breo's expression harden with the passing moments.

I knew Breo's situation, too. It was hard to see people you cared about in pain. I'd witnessed it far too often.

In the past, Yusei and I had worked on all kinds of stuff. I'd helped to build his first and second duel runners, and he'd helped me make my first duel runner as well. Back when we were younger, we fixed all sorts of things around Martha's house; most famously, the plumbing, the lights, and the thermostat.

It was always nice to return to the past and loiter in it for a while.

Yusei held my front tire in place while I fixed the rivets; poor Argent wasn't so Coercive anymore... Trudge had let me take new wheels, a new dashboard, and a new interior from the Security impound, where regrettably, they tore up old duel runners and left the parts there in a pile. It made me sad to see.

I'd gone back and reinforced the body and networking after my first crash, just in case it were to happen again so my work wouldn't be so tedious. Lucky for us, the paint had just been chipped. Other than that, she was pretty banged up. Thankfully, we didn't have too much to worry about.

"Silvan!

I looked up. "Hm?" he'd probably been trying to get my attention for a while now. I was famous for getting lost in my own thoughts when they became that important.

"You're going to break that," he laughed, and I realized I was twisting the rivet the wrong way and probably bending the metal.

"Awh!" I complained. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?!"

"I've been trying to get you to pay attention for a while. What's on your mind?"

I stuck my bottom lip out. "My baby's all busted... Sad face."

He laughed. "What else?"

My eyes traced the Crimson Dragon's mark on his bare arm, and I felt my expression grow more serious. "You have experience with weird marks, right?"

Yusei stared at me for a second, then sat down next to me on the concrete. "...I guess?"

"When I almost crashed... This weird thing happened."

He waited, his eyes on me.

"There was this weird green light... I don't know, but I guess it kind of saved me; I sort of saw this symbol..."

"Do you remember what it looked like?"

"Lots of circles," I said. "I can't remember exactly, but it was circular."

Yusei glanced at his mark, then chuckled a little. "Couldn't tell you anything about that. Sorry."

"Yep," I sighed. "Thought so." I got up and twisted the wrench the other way, the right way, and sighed again. Things just never seemed to turn out right.

"Well," I said exasperatedly. "It's almost 5, but we're finally done. Thanks for helping."

"No problem. It's unfair that you would get disqualified by an out-of-commission duel runner. I was so looking forward to seeing you in the finals," he replied, grinning.

"You're just saying that because you're going to humiliate me in front of thousands of people," I complained.

Yusei ruffled my bangs teasingly. "I wouldn't humiliate you intentionally, silly. Now that we've got some time on our hands-"

I put a finger over his lips, already expecting the question. "I think I want to go and visit Akiza."

It was strange, really. This morning, Akiza had worn this look of distraught; it was still there on her face that seemed somewhat in repose.

When I first walked into the room, Yusei had to catch me from falling; the little hospital room stunk of misery-so much so, it hurt my head.

Akiza's parents (obviously) were sitting at her bedside, and looked up as we walked in. They both had those almond eyes, and Akiza's mother had that reddish hair.

"Hello again, Yusei," Akiza's father said once I'd adjusted to the negative charge in the room and was able to stand on my own. "Who's your friend?"

"I'm Silvan," I answered for him. "Akiza came to talk to me this morning, and I wanted to see if she was okay."

I looked back at Akiza's father. He stared down at his daughter lovingly, almost regretfully, and I knew immediately that that was another thing Akiza had that I didn't. I'd never get to experience a father's love.

But I wasn't going to hold that over her.

I started to walk around the hospital bed to the other side to get a better view, but that misery just increased and I stumbled a couple times.

"Ugh," I mumbled, wobbling over to another chair. "I need to sit down..."

I plopped down in a chair and lay my head between my knees; right then, I was watching Akiza crash.

However, it wasn't like my other visions. I felt it, as though I was Akiza.

The wind blew though my hair as the duel runner raced forward, and then a sudden sharp jerk as the wheels of the duel runner locked.

Then the natural movement as a hand flew upward and drew a card, summoning it quickly.

I felt as Akiza's body flew up and over the top of the duel runner, right towards the monster that was supposed to catch her... But it didn't.

There was a sharp pain in the back of my head and the vision disappeared, went black as Akiza lost consciousness.

Now I understood... Akiza's powers had failed her, and her confusion had brought on a self-induced coma.

I looked up quickly and fell out of the chair, hitting my left arm on the side of the wooden chair.

"Oow," I hissed, rubbing at the spot. It still stung a little.

"Are you okay?"

I looked up at Yusei, about to answer, but I stopped at the sight of him.

His face was leeched of color, eyes dull and glazed over, but sparked with some extreme emotion that I couldn't understand.

What had happened?

"I'm fine," I replied quietly. "I got a little dizzy. I guess I'm just overly worried for Akiza..."

I looked at her again.

"I hope she gets better soon."

Yusei and I left quickly, and his expression didn't change the whole time.

Strangely, his hand had clasped my arm just where I'd hit it on the arm of the chair... And where it still burned painfully.

**Hm. I wonder what that could be. /coughsarcasmcough/**

**Well, I HOPE it got more interesting... :P**

**As for the "Argent isn't so Coercive anymore" joke, (because I don't think anyone is going to get it), all duel runners have a name... i.e. Yusei Go, Phoenix Whirlwind, Blackwing, etc. Silvan's duel runner is called Coercive Argent. (Put it through the dictionary= Moving Silver) SO THAR.**

**Thanks for reading! See ya! ;D**

**-Eibon**


	12. Impression

Chapter 11: Impression

**So, um... Chapter 11. I wanted to finish this real bad because I see a wall on the horizon... Stupid writer's block...**

**This chapter is a little shorter than most, because the duel scene was just too quick for me and it had to be cut off somewhere.**

**Well, enjoy anyways!**

That morning was a quick one.  
Like I had two days before, I made it to the pits early and set up while waiting for Kage and Raven.  
My arm still blazed, and yesterday, Yusei had bandaged it for me in case I'd cut it accidentally. He hadn't let me see it, strangely, which gave me the impression that something was indeed there and it was bad enough that he didn't want me to see it.  
When he, Crow, and Jack arrived today, that was his first question.  
"How are you?" his palm was draped over that burning spot, so I knew he meant to ask how my arm was. "I'm fine," I answered. "It still hurts."  
"Maybe you should sit this one out..."  
"No, I'm fine. I can stand it."  
The concern in his eyes was bad enough that it was almost plain on his face, which wasn't like him. Usually, it was only a flicker that he tried extensively to hide.  
"You need to focus," I told him, touching his cheek. "I'm not the most important thing to worry about right now."  
"Maybe not to yourself."  
"Really, Yusei. I'll be fine."  
That flicker in his eyes that was still blazing like a wildfire suggested otherwise.  
Today, Yusei and the rest of Team 5D's were facing Team Catastrophe. For the sake of the outer layer of my skin (that I'd burned off yesterday in probably the hottest shower I'd taken in my life), I hoped that Team Catastrophe went down in smoke.  
The leader of their team passed me with a straight face. "I'm so sorry that we didn't get to duel you yesterday."  
The purple haired man passed behind him, laughing like a maniac. "Shame, too. We could've had a lot of _fun_."  
I scowled at the three of them, then noticed the irritation in the dark haired man's eyes.  
_Ha_! He was upset that I'd survived my crash yesterday. Even more so that I was still in the running for the title!  
Once they'd passed, I childishly stuck my tongue out at their backs and ambled back into Team Sterling's lane.  
Raven was the first to notice my bluntness. "What's with you, sunshine?"  
"I hope Team Catastrophe gets _crushed_," I hissed. "Well," Raven laughed. "At least we know who you're rooting for."  
I scoffed and watched Crow pull up to the start beside the man with the reddish hair.  
Some part of me was still concerned for Crow's shoulder, that he wouldn't be able to hold out. But this is Crow we're talking about, and he doesn't give up too easily.  
I was just a little less antsy when the clock tolled and Crow and the red-haired man (whose name was apparently Hermann) shot forward on the track. I clenched my fists, and Crow started pulling behind Hermann. Then he sped up and Hermann started to bump him away.  
I knew Crow was in pain, it showed plain on his face.  
Hermann drew his hand and took the first turn.  
"I summon Hook the Hidden Knight in attack mode!"  
That monster... I felt lightheaded because of the dark energy dripping from it. Now that I'd seen it in person, I was sure that this card wasn't anything normal.  
"Next, I'll place one card face down and end my turn!"  
I glanced at the struggle on Crow's face, which he quickly his to take his turn.  
Crow winced as he drew. "First up, I summon Blackwing Sirroco the Dawn in attack mode!" his voice was shaky; I knew he was in pain. "Sirroco is a high level monster, but when monsters exist only on my opponent's field, I can summon it without and tributes or special summons! Sirroco the Dawn is soaring in to attack Hook the Hidden Knight!"  
"I activate Hook the Hidden Knight's special ability! Shadow Hook! When it's attacked by a monster, both it and the attacking monster are forced into defense mode! The best part is... when this ability activates, you get knocked with 800 points of damage!"  
A bright violet light shot from the monster's body, illuminating the field.  
I could barely see through it, but I kept my eyes locked on the track, convinced that I was going to see something like an attempt on Crow's life.  
Then, there it was! A black hook rising out of the ground, attempting to hook onto his back wheel. Crow swerved, avoiding the hook and quickly regaining his balance. So he'd seen it too.  
That was freaky.  
"Did you see that?!" Kage screeched. "Did you see that?!"  
"That was Hidden Knight's hook..." I replied weakly. "I'm sure of it..."  
"So... They're trying to hurt Crow again?"  
I glanced at Raven, and her violet eyes were on fire. "I am going to _kill_ that guy." she pointed (sort of stabbed, really) at the red-haired guy who was controlling Hidden Knight.  
I didn't know why, but the situation made me want to giggle. Maybe Raven loved Crow just a little too much, if that was possible.  
"I place 4 cards face down and end my turn!"  
Crow seemed to be rushing this. His shoulder was probably killing him.  
"It's my turn!" Hermann drew a card. "And I'm switching Hook the Hidden Knight into attack mode! Next, I'm summoning Dark the Hidden Knight! Hope you're ready to shed a few more life points Crow, because Dark the Hidden Knight can attack you directly!"  
I wondered if, because of that card, did Crow take real battle damage? If so, he'd be in even more pain...  
"Next, Hook the Hidden Knight, attack your little birdy, and then you! Go, Evil Hook!"  
There was that hook again! Crow dodged it again swiftly, and I exhaled again.  
"I place one card face down and end my turn!"  
Then suddenly, Leo stuck the sign for a pit stop. They probably wanted him to switch out in case of his shoulder. But Crow ignored it and kept after Hermann.  
"Ugh, idiot!" Raven grumbled, running a hand through her unkempt noir hair. "It's a pride thing, Raven," I told her. "Yeah, I know. He's still an idiot."  
Quick change of attitude, jeez! I knew she was worried about him, I was too, but there were some higher powers at work here, and Crow probably wanted to expose them.  
"It's my turn!" Crow drew his card. "And I'm activating the Blackback trap! Thanks to this trap, I can summon out a Blackwing tha's in my grave directly onto the field! Sirroco the Dawn returns to the field! And he won't be alone for long, because when one Blackwing is on my field, I can summon Gale the Whirlwind!"  
Well, birds of a feather do flock together... I said it in my head because I knew it was coming eventually.  
"Next, I'll activate Gale's special ability! Once per turn, he can cut your monster's attack and defense points in half! Now that your Hook the Hidden Knight's attack was lowered, Gale the Whirlwind is swooping in for a Blackscratch attack!"  
"But won't that only activate Hidden Knights' ability?" Kage asked.  
"I think... That's just what Crow wants."  
"You don't learn, do you?" Hermann jeered. "My Hook the Hidden Knight's special ability activates!"  
Gale was forced back into defense mode, Hidden Knight as well. That purple light again, blinding me as Hidden Knight scored 800 points on Crow's life.  
Swiftly, Crow jumped his duel runner up and avoided the dark hook once more. He swung the turn behind Hermann and continued his play.  
"Now, Sirroco the Dawn, attack Hook the Hidden Knight! Go, Darkwing Slash!"  
"Nice try, Crow! I activate Dark the Hidden Knight's special ability!"  
Another special ability? _Great_.  
"By getting rid of my Dark Knight, I can switch Hook the Hidden Knight back into attack mode and survive your attack!"  
"Are you kidding me?" Kage complained as Hermann again activated Hidden Knight's special ability.  
"Wait," I said. "Look."  
This time, instead of just dodging, Crow had taken a jump, extended his duel runner's wings, and was now gliding over the track.  
There was a shadow of a hook on the ground, and it suddenly elongated into a physical form of the monster that took a second swing at Crow, barely missing. "There!" I said. "See? Crow's got this locked up!"  
"It's been hiding in the shadows the whole time!" Kage realized.  
"I'm not done yet!" Crow exclaimed after taking another 800 points of damage. "I send Blackwing Adhesion of Two Swords from my hand to my grave in order to activate its special ability!"  
What was Crow doing this time?  
"See, when a Blackwing on my field fails to make an attack, this card makes up for it by dishing out damage equal to that monster's attack!"  
Hermann took 2000 points in damage for Sirroco, and his duel runner started to wobble.  
"I now activate my trap, Urgent Tuning! With this, I can Synchro Summon during the battle phase!"  
"Not with my trap, Shadow Concealing Darkness! With this, monsters in defense mode cannot be destroyed!"  
"Guess I'll just have to tune Gale the Whirlwind with Sirroco the Dawn, then! I hope you're ready for some shock and awe, Hermann! Cuz I'm Synchro Summoning Blackwing Dragon!"  
But Crow wasn't done yet!  
"I activate the Defender's Intersect trap card! With this, I can switch both of our monsters into attack mode and negate any special abilities!"  
"Perfect!" I celebrated. "Now Crow can go in for the kill!"  
"Blackwing Dragon is gonna demolish your Hook the Hidden Knight! Go, Blackwing Burst!"  
Hermann tried to activate a trap card, but he was overtaken by the attack much too quickly. Hermann's life points were diminished, but the trap he'd activated brought back Hook the Hidden Knight.  
"Feel the wrath of Hook the Hidden Knight! Feel the wrath of a shadow card!"  
A shadow card? What was a shadow card?  
"I activate the trap, Gravity Collapse! By sending one Synchro monster on my field to the Graveyard, I can give the hook to your Hook the Hidden Knight!"  
Once again, Hook the Hidden Knight was gone. Good old Crow wasn't holding out on his team, now was he?  
Crow pulled into the pits for a stop, and Jack took the baton. The man with the dark hair, Nicolas, pulled in behind Jack.  
Nicolas was first. "I place one card face down and end my turn." He had a thick European accent... German?  
"One face down?" Kage asked. "It must be something big."  
I was getting a bad vibe from that guy... Could it be possible that that facedown would be a total game-changer?  
"It's my turn! First, I'm sending my level 2 Dread Dragon to the grave in order to summon Power Giant!"  
Power Giant was a big monster... It looked like Jack was going to walk right into this one.  
"Unfortunately, I have to lower Power Giant's level by 2 due to this means of summoning, but it still packs a pretty big punch! Go, Power Giant!"  
"I activate my trap, Doom Ray! When your monster attacks me directly, both of us take 800 points of damage for every single card I have in my hand!"  
Nicolas had 5 cards... that was 4000 points. He was ending this duel so soon?  
"Hook the Hidden Knight isn't the only Shadow Card out there, you know!" What? How many shadow cards did they have?  
A bright light overtook both duelists, but for some reason, I could see through this one.  
Dozens of lilac colored skulls launched themselves at Jack, and then swirled around Nicolas. Obviously, this wasn't going the way Nicolas planned.  
"I activate Power Giant's special ability! By sending him to the Graveyard, I can negate all counter effect damage I take this turn!"  
A blue glow shout through the gale, and a huge explosion occurred. A duel runner shot out and crashed into the side of the track, and I saw a black wheel roll aimlessly across the asphault.  
Then Phoenix Whirlwind shot out across the track and landed safely, where Jack had Nicolas in tow.  
"It's over!" the announcer shouted. "With 2 back-to-back victories, Team 5D's advances to the finals!"  
"Whew!" I sighed. "That sure is a load off!"  
"Hey, Siiilvaaan!"  
I heard my name, and turned around just as a man slung his arm around my shoulder.  
He was tall and lean with rich dark skin, eyes a strange shade of navy, and disheveled silver hair that stuck out in rough spikes. A jagged yellow Facility scar ripped down his left cheek-I noticed it when he smiled at me.  
"So, Silvan," he purred in a strange tone. "Do you remember me?"  
"Um," I said, uncomfortable. "Should I?"  
"Of course! Aw, well, that's a shame!"  
I slipped out from under his arm. "Who are you?"  
"The name's Drake, but you can call me your knight in shining armor!"  
I scoffed. "No thanks. I've already got one of those."  
"Drake, quit messing with the competition."  
A tall young woman with long golden blonde hair and cerulean eyes tossed a cool look at the man. She had a slight accent, almost British.  
"Oh, come on Claire. I'm just having a little fun."  
"You can "have fun" after the duel is over."  
A second man with dark hair and heterochromic eyes came up next to the woman, his hands in the pockets of his loose riding jacket.  
"Who are you guys?"  
"We are Team Unity. It is a pleasure to meet you, Team Sterling," the woman said.  
"You guys are Team Unity?" Raven asked. "Well, now we don't have to go look for them, at least..."  
"I am Claire," the blonde woman said. "You have already met Drake, and this is my partner, Rex."  
"I'm Silvan," I told her warily. "This is Raven and Kage."  
"Yes, we know who you are."  
Something wasn't right about these people... Raven and I exchanged a glance. "Well, our duel is about to start..."  
Kage rolled his duel runner up to the start, beside the dark-skinned man named Drake who threw me a gleaming smile. I rolled my eyes in return, deciding that I might just sabotage this guy's duel runner when he wasn't looking.  
Drake swung the turn first; it looked to me like Kage had let him grab the first turn."First, I summon Everliving Underworld Cannon in defense mode! Then, by discarding Skull Conductor from my hand, I can special summon two other Zombie-type monsters whose combined attacks equal 2000! I summon Burning Skull Head and Kasha!  
"Now, I can activate Everliving Underworld Cannon's special effect! When I special summon a monster from my hand, you take 800 points in damage! Since I summoned two monsters from my hand, this effect is doubled!"  
I cringed. Maybe this guy was better than I thought.  
"Then, by activating Burning Skull's head, I can deal you 1000 more points of damage!"  
Kage's life points dropped again to 2400. "Now, the effect of my Kasha! In order to summon it to the field, I have to return all of my monsters on the field to my deck and shuffle it! Now Kasha's attack becomes the number of monsters shuffled x1000!"  
2000 attack points...  
"I place one card facedown and end my turn!"  
"I'll start by activating the continuous trap, Pandemonium! Due to this trap, I card, I'm allowed to summon Archfiend General from my deck or hand! Next, I summon Armageddon Knight in attack mode! I place one card facedown and end my turn!" "My draw!" Drake said. "Kasha, attack Armageddon Knight!"  
"I activate my facedown trap, Bark of Dark Ruler! By decreasing my life points by 1000, I can decrease your monster's ATK and DEF by that much as well!"  
Drake took 400 points in damage, then played a card facedown. It was Kage's turn.  
"I place two cards facedown and end my turn."  
His field was wide open, and Kage didn't attack... Drake must've had an ace up his sleeve that Kage was afraid to trigger.  
"I'll begin by removing the three Fiend type monsters in my Graveyard in order to summon Dark Necrofear! Now, by equipping Malevolent Nuzzler to Dark Necrofear, it gains 700 ATK points!"  
2900? I hoped that Kage had something up his sleeve.  
"Dark Necrofear, attack Armageddon Knight!"  
"I activate my facedown card, Mirror Wall! I can halve your attack and then draw a card."  
"I place one card facedown and end my turn."  
"My move!" Kage announced. "First, I activate the Speed Spell, Call of the Haunted! By sacrificing 3 Speed Counters, I can bring back any monster from my Graveyard and equip it with this card! Come on back, Armageddon Knight!"  
The two of them were almost on an equal level... Which way was this duel going?  
"Now, I think I'll summon the tuner monster, Dark Resonator!"  
Another Synchro Summon? "I tune Armageddon Knight with Dark Resonator; let the shadows rip apart and then stitch back together! I synchro summon Shadow-Void Dragon!"  
Finally! Kage could turn the tables now.  
"Now, Archfiend General, attack Dark Necrofear!"  
"Archfiend General has less attack points," Raven murmured to me. She'd been so ingrained in the speed of this duel, that this was the first time she'd spoken.  
"So it must have an efect," I mumbled in answer. "I activate the trap, Mirror Force! When a monster attacks, I can destroy all of my opponent's monsters on the field!"  
"I activate the facedown, Trap Jammer! I can negate the activation of one trap on the field and destroy it."  
"But Archfiend General still has less attack points than Dark Necrofear!"  
"Buuuut I can activate Archfiend General's special effect! If I attack an opponent's monster, I can add it on as an equip card; then, I'm allowed to remove it from the field by destroying my Pandemonium field spell, along with the monster I've equipped it to!"  
That was a clever card combo... Kage was speeding up.  
"Then, because Archfiend General is in my Graveyard, I can add Pandemonium back from my Graveyard to my hand! Now, Shadow-Void Dragon, go in for the kill!"  
"I activate the trap, Negate Attack! I can negate your attack and then end the battle phase!"  
"Due to my Shadow-Void Dragon's special effect, all traps activated during the Battle Phase are negated!"  
Drake's life points were diminished; that just might've been the quickest duel I'd ever witnessed.  
The blonde-haired woman pulled onto the track next. "I will begin by summoning Solar Flare Dragon to the field!"  
"A Fire attribute," I murmured, but Raven wasn't listening.  
"Next, I place one card face down and end my turn! However, during the end phase of my turn, you sill take 500 points of damage due to this card's effect!"  
Kage drew a card. "I activate Pandemonium from my hand! This allows me to summon back Archfiend General from my Graveyard directly to the field! Now, Archfiend General, take Solar Flare Dragon down!"  
I was expecting Claire to have some trick, but she didn't. She just took the 600 points in damage and sped up to get behind Kage.  
"Now, Shadow Void Dragon, attack directly! Dark Pulsar!"  
"Hold on!" Claire said. So she did have something...  
"I activate the trap, Hellfire Resonance! If a Pyro-type monster was destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard this turn, I can deflect one direct attack right back at you! In addition, I'm allowed to summon one monster from my hand!"  
Kage hadn't been expecting that. His life points fell to 0, and white smoke burst up over his windshield.  
"I think I'll summon Flare Resonator!"  
As she summoned the tuner, Raven raced out to meet Claire.  
"I'll make my move!" Raven declared. "I summon Sonic Bird in attack mode, and thanks to his ability, I'm allowed to bring a ritual spell to my hand from my deck!"  
Raven glanced at the ritual card she'd drawn, then played it. "I activate the Speed Spell, Javelin Beetle Pact! By paying 5 of my speed counters, I can summon Javelin Beetle to the field! However, I'll also have to sacrifice my Sonic Bird and my inherited Archfiend General in order to carry on!"  
So Raven had Shadow-Void Dragon and Javelin Beetle on the field... If Claire didn't have anything up her sleeve in 2 turns, Raven would be playing against Team Unity's third wheeler.  
"I place two cards face down and end my turn!"  
"My draw!" Claire called. "I summon Flamvell Archer in attack mode! Now, I tune Flare Resonator with Flamvell Archer in order to Synchro Summon Lavalval Dragon!"  
A big burning dragon pulled itself into play, and even Kage was quiet for once. I didn't know what it was about this duel that kept us all on our toes, but it was definitely something.  
"Unfortunately, my dragon isn't strong enough to defeat either of your dragons! However, due to my dragon's special ability, I can send one Pyro type monster in my hand to the Graveyard and have my dragon gain attack points equal to those of the monster I just discarded! Lavalval Dragon, destroy Shadow-Void Dragon!"  
"I activate the trap card, Divine Wrath! When a monster's effect is activated, I can negate that effect and destroy the monster!"  
"I will place one card face down and end my turn."  
Raven could end it here if she had the right hand...  
"I draw! I activate Pot of Greed! Thanks to this, I get to draw one card from my deck!"  
Raven was hinging on one draw... She was hoping for a game changer.  
"I summon Blackwing- Breeze the Zephyr!"  
A tuner! She'd gotten the card she wanted, all right!  
"Thanks to the special ability of this monster, I'm able to summon again this turn- when I draw this card thanks to a spell or trap's effect, this summon is treated as a special summon! I summon Harpie Queen! Next, I tune Blackwing- Breeze the Zephyr with Harplie Queen in order to synchro summon Blackwing- Silverwind the Ascendant!"  
Raven was totally winning this duel.  
"Blackwing- Silverwind the Ascendant, destroy Lavalval Dragon! And due to Shadow-Void Dragon's special effect, the activation of all trap and spell cards is negated during the battle phase!"  
Claire's monster exploded in a burst of flames, and she took the 700 points of damage.  
"Shadow-Void Dragon, Javelin Beetle! Finish this duel!"  
Claire's life points dropped immediately to 0, and that same white smoke crested up over her duel runner.  
I watched the third wheeler-the man with strange, different eyes-mount his duel runner and catch easily up to Raven.  
"It's my turn!" he declared, drawing a card. "And I'm summoning Red Eyes B. Chick to the field! Now, due to its special effect, I can summon out the Red Eyes B. Dragon!"  
I'd only heard about that card in legends... It really existed. And this guy was using it. There was a murmur that rose from the crowd of spectators.  
"But I'm not finished! If I have a Red Eyes B. Dragon on the field, I can summon out Red Eyes Darkness Dragon! Plus, by sending Red Eyes B. Chick to the Graveyard, Red Eyes Darkness Dragon can gain 1000 attack points!"  
3400 attack points! I made my way over to my duel runner, forming a strategy in my head.  
"Now, Red Eyes B. Dragon, Red Eyes Darkness Dragon, destroy Blackwing- Breeze the Zephyr and Shadow-Void Dragon!"  
They were gone now... Raven lost all of her life points. Whoever this guy was, he didn't mess around.  
I mounted my duel runner and drew my hand. This was no time for my thousand-play combo to bring out Machina Force. I had to get a tough monster out, and quick. All I had on my field was Javelin Beetle...  
"I draw!" I declared. "If monsters exist only on my opponent's field, I can summon out Cyber Dragon! And not only one, but two! Next, I activate the trap card, Union Force! Once per turn, I can summon a machine type monster from my deck or hand! I summon to the field Green Gadget!"  
This was the quickest combo I saw, and it brought out a few of my strongest monsters that I didn't use unless I absolutely had to.  
"Due to Green Gadget's special effect, I can also summon out Red Gadget and Yellow Gadget! Next, I activate the Speed Spell, Future Fusion! By paying 5 Speed Counters, I can tribute my Cyber Dragons to summon Chimeratech Overdragon!"  
One of my best monsters... Hopefully this works!  
"Now, by tributing Red, Green, and Yellow Gadgets, I can summon Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon!" Red Eyes B. Dragon had 2400 attack points, Red Eyes Darkness Dragon had the same... Gadjitltron had 3000 ATK, and Chimeratech had 2600! I could win this!  
"Now I activate the Speed Spell, Silver Contrails! By paying 2 Speed Counters, Chimeratech Overdragon gets a little tune-up!"  
Now Chimeratech had 3600 ATK. I had to attack this turn, or I'd lose that boost and he'd do something about it.  
"Ancient Gear Gadjitltron! Destroy Red Eyes Darkness Dragon! Go, Millenium Burst!"  
"I activate the trap card, Deficit! By sending a dragon-type card in my hsnd to the Graveyard, I can destroy both my monster and the attacking monster!"  
Now I'd have to wait until next turn to take him down... And he'd certainly have something else up his sleeve. "I activate the trap, Synchro Burst! If I have a Synchro or Fusion monster on my field, I can destroy it and deal you damage equal to its attack points! To the grave with you, Ancient Gear Gadjitlron!"  
Rex took the 3000 points in damage. He was out of face downs, and I think I'd just barely won this.  
"Chimeratech, end this duel! Take out Red Eyes B. Dragon with Rivet Crunch!"  
As he passed behind me, smoke in his windshield, I caught a peek at his hand.  
In it was the Speed Spell, Urgent Tuning, and all the materials to summon out Sun Dragon Inti. If I'd waited one more turn, I would've lost the duel.  
But really, those were a lot of rare cards! Where had he gotten them all...?  
Raven and Kage didn't really look all that glad when I approached them back in the lane. They looked almost relieved. I guess they'd known as well as I had that this would be a close duel.  
We met Team Unity at the halfway point, where we took a second just standing there, listening to the announcer and the deafening roar of the crowd.  
"Incredible, folks! Team Sterling has done it again! With back-to-back victories, we will be seeing them in the finals!"

The thunder and lightning were too much for me to bear. It was hurting my head, scattering my senses. I couldn't think straight, I could barely see.  
I scrunched into a tight little ball in the pits, wanting it to stop.  
"Silvan...?" a small voice asked. "Are you okay?"  
I looked up groggily, struggling to focus on Luna. "I-I'm fine, Luna. Don't worry about me."  
"Jeez," Crow said, coming up next to her. "No you're not, you look worse than I do." he cringed as he moved his arm to make a point.  
"Gee, that makes me feel so much better," I grumbled.  
Struggling with myself, I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to block it out; as if things couldn't get any worse, the pain on my left forearm had increased tenfold to more of a searing burn.  
"U-Uh, S-Silvan!" Leo exclaimed quickly.  
"Dude..." Crow marveled.  
"What _IS_ that?" Raven mumbled.  
"Frea-ky," Kage said.  
I looked up, finally seeing what they were talking about.  
A circular symbol was emanating a bright green light from that burning area on my left arm, and right now, it was burning worse than ever. Looking closer, it looked like three ovals had overlapped each other and were encircled by a serperate circle. I started at it for a second, wondering what I was supposed to do about it, when Leo broke the silence.  
"Oh, COME _ON_! Everyone has a cool mark but me!"  
"Leo," I told him. "This hurts pretty bad. Trust me, you don't want one."  
"What is that?"  
"I don't know," I answered. "My arm's been hurting since yesterday; I hit it on a chair, and Yusei bandaged it for me, but I thought it was just because I had a really bad cut..."  
"Doesn't look like a cut to me," Crow retorted. "How long have you had that thing?"  
"Um, since just now, I think," I said.  
"Maybe Yusei knows something about it?" Luna asked.  
"Maybe," I said. Another wave of lightning, and the burning rose again. I clenched my skull, hating the feeling. "Silvan, maybe you should go lay down or something..."  
"N-No," I grumbled, clenching my teeth and wobbling to my feet. "I have to go and help Yusei..."  
Crow grabbed my collar with his good arm. "Silvan, you've been huddled in that corner since those duelbots first showed up. We should both sit this one out."  
Cringing, I agreed. Crow, sympathetic because he didn't want to sit out either, put his good arm affectionately around my shoulder, and we went and sat down to watch the darkening sky.

**See? Toldja it was short. I didn't have any other ideas, and I don't have the whole series in English... I was skimming around online for the Japanese dub, since they have all the pointless eps ^^**

**So today I watched Yusei with his amazing hair in a hat. I had to watch the scene where he takes the hat off over and over because I still couldn't comprehend how he got those damn spikes into such a tiny hat D:**

**LOL Buuuut. Whatever. Hope you enjoyed.**

**See ya! ;D**

**-Eibon**


	13. Unscathed

Misery Business

**So sorry for not updating for a while :D I've been really busy, with choir and finals coming up, and a hell of a lot of homework. Anyway, this chapter might be shorter than the others, but it leads up to the climax of the story.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 12: Unscathed

I did a lot of research on my mark. Hacked into things, looked all over wherever I could. I'd only dug up a little.  
Apparently, my mark was of Celtic origin and had a hand in the legend of the Crimson Dragon.  
Nothing else I'd found was useful or relevant to the situation, but at least I knew what I was dealing with.  
But when I was up on the bridge the other day, something weird happened. I was up looking out at Satellite, the city lights were dimming with the morning. I'd stayed up all night, pondering this.  
Then it started to burn again. I cringed and clutched at the green light that appeared as abruptly as last time.  
Before I noticed, the burn seemed to cease; it was then that I realized that someone had put their hand over it.  
The man in question was taller than me by a lot, with strangely styled silvery-blue hair and brown eyes.  
"You bear the mark of the Kells," he said in a strange accent, somewhat Swedish.  
"W-What?" I asked, puzzled, then took a step back. As soon as I did so, the burning returned, but he grabbed my arm again and it ceased once more.  
"It is a mark most respected in Norse mythology," he explained. "The close cousin of the Valknut, seal of Odin."  
"I don't understand."  
"We are meant to be allies," the man explained. "My name is Halldor; I am leader of Team Ragnarok."  
"I-I'm Silvan," I stuttered. "I'm leader of Team Sterling."  
Suddenly, his left pupil glowed and changed into a strange rune. "I bear the Rune Eye."  
I paused, just looking at the strange character. "Does my mark have a name?"  
"I suppose it carries many names, however the loyalty you bear it in calls it a Trinity Knot, a Triquetra."  
"A- What?"  
"A symbol for protection. You have divine rights, and you are meant to be our ally."  
"O-Our?"  
Two other relatively tall men stepped out from behind Halldor, both with a similar rune glowing in their left eye.  
"My partners, Dragan and Brodor."  
The two of them were quiet, but they acknowledged my presence.  
"Your mark binds you to our Rune Eyes, but it also binds you to the Crimson Dragon."  
Intently, I listened.  
"The power of the Rune Eyes we posess does not accept the bearers of their mark as acceptable allies. We have come to persuade you to our side."  
This was really confusing. It was the middle of the night, I hadn't had any sleep, three shifty guys were showing up out of nowhere and basically telling me that I should not trust Yusei and Jack and Crow and Luna and Akiza... and trust them instead...?  
"Why should I?" I asked bluntly.  
"Look," one of the men behind Halldor with spikey strawberry-blonde and brown hair looked at me with his green rune. "we know that you're buds with Team 5D's. But this is the world we're talking about. There's something going on, and you're a part of it. Whichever side you choose, it's going to impact the state of the world."  
"Slow down," I said, my voice breaking slightly. "I just got this mark yesterday. Can you please at least explain some things to me?"  
Halldor waited.  
"For starters, why does it burn? And why did you stop it?"  
"The burn comes from its power, its ability. The world around is not strong enough to contain the pressure, so it coarses through the holder's body until it is released instead. The power of my Rune Eye is equal to that of your mark; it reaches equilibrium."  
"Why me?" I continued. "There are a lot of good people in the world, why me?"  
"You are psychic too, am I correct?"  
Okay. Weird.  
"Um. Yes?"  
"Everything happens for a reason. Your abilities exist within you because of just that."  
"Can't you expound on that?"  
"I'm afraid you must find that reason for yourself."  
I sighed. "Shoot."  
Halldor looked at me expectantly, and I stared him down in return. "I'll have to think about it."  
"Silvan, whatever decision you make, we are on your side."  
When the three of them left and the burning came back, I almost wanted to chase after him and ask him if he could super-glue his hand to that spot, or something.  
What had I gotten myself into this time...?

"How are you feeling?"  
I looked up. "Um, okay. I guess." I glanced down at my bandaged arm. "It still stings."  
"Maybe we should have a doctor look at it or something-"  
"No," I sighed. "No, Yusei. I already know what's wrong with it."  
"You do? Well, what's wrong with it?"  
I bit my bottom lip, tearing the gauze off of my arm and showing him the black circular rune that had been permanently burned into my skin. "That's what's wrong with it."  
Then he got that face again, where he went totally pale and his eyes lost their shine. What was he so worried about?  
"Yusei, what are you worried about?" I asked, standing up and worming my way into the circle of his arms.  
"I don't know what it is, but... I get this bad feeling... I don't want you to get hurt."  
"Hurt? I've been through much worse."  
"But-" I pressed my lips over his to stop his panic attack. He kissed me back for a second, contemplating where this endeavour was headed.  
"My point is," I told him. "I'm going to be perfectly fine. I promise."  
He glanced at the mark, eyes narrowing like he didn't want it there. Then he gently put his palm over my searing skin and kissed me again.  
Noticeabley, the burning stopped just like it had when Halldor had touched it.  
It was then that I decided not to get back to Halldor on his little inquiry.

I checked the roster; Team Sterling was apparently going up against Team New World to go into the finals. Yusei and Team 5D's were facing Team Ragnarok.  
When I looked up Team New World, I didn't find much in view of the public eye. However, when I'd hunted down their city records, I found that Team New World was made up of the new directors-the ones I'd met once before, and had given me an off sort-of vibe.  
I decided to be extra careful when going around HQ, because I always got this really strange feeling that I was being watched.  
Kage, Raven and I were to fight the three of them the day after tomorrow, the day after Team Ragnarok and Team 5D's fought it out.  
From what I knew on the basics of what had happened in the city so far, the three directors went by the names of Jakob, Lester, and Primo. All three of them carried Meklord Emperor cards, which had the power to intercept Synchro Monsters and use them against their opponent. I didn't typically use Synchro monsters, but Kage and Raven's decks relied on that.  
We spent a day or so building up the cards we would and wouldn't use, beginning with Kage.  
He had quite a few tough monsters in his deck that were accessable without a Synchro Summon, so to be safe, Kage took Shadow-Void Dragon out of his deck and sparred with me without it.  
Raven took out Simorgh and Silverwind, focusing on the ritual cards she had, and maybe even a couple Fusion monsters.  
I had my tribute combos with Machina Force and Chimeratech Overdragon, and I could probably use Ancient Gear Gadjitltron Dragon as a Fusion monster, too.  
We spent about a day practicing with each other, trying to adjust to this new style of dueling, and then we parted ways to get in the mindset of our race.  
Even though it was a couple of days away, the three of us were all worried about it. Our last duel with Team Unity had ended quickly, but it had been a close one. We hadn't been prepared for it...  
I sat out where I'd been a few days before, looking out at Satellite where a few lights were still glowing in the gloom. There were times when I missed it, but also times when I couldn't have been happier for leaving.  
It was then that I spotted a sort of building jutting down out of the sky, swirling into some cone-shaped dome. Was I hallucinating?  
Rubbing my eyes and deciding I needed some sleep, I rode away down the street and back towards the inner city, when I had to pull over because my arm was burning again.  
The green light washed over me again, and I wondered what had brought it on again. When I looked out towards the ocean, I noticed an outcropping facing me that also provided a perfect view of where Yusei, Crow, and Jack were facing Halldor, Dragan, and Brodor. Currently, they were all looking up at me.  
Nervously, I hid my mark under my own hand, and the burning raged within me.  
"Have you thought about our offer, Silvan?" Halldor called up to me.  
From the looks on my friends' faces, Halldor had told them that I was joining up with Team Ragnarok. Jack was in total disbelief, Crow was just staring awkwardly up at me, and Yusei was trying to hide his negative emotions, which wasn't working with those eyes of his.  
"I've been thinking about it," I answered calmly. "I can't just distrust my friends because you tell me to. I understand that you think the fate of the world is in your hands, but it's spread around a lot of the people you're looking at. They saved New Domino City once, you know, and even though I wasn't there to witness it, I'm confident that they're capable of doing it again."  
"Is that your final answer?"  
"It could change, depending on whether you decide to trust them too. But yeah, there's your answer."  
"I see. Nevertheless-"  
"Yeah, I know. I'll make sure to keep you on speed dial."  
Exchanging one last glance with Yusei, Crow, and Jack, Team Ragnarok left.  
Before I could register anything else, Jack was yelling at me.  
"Did you even have to think about it?!" he exploded. "You could've just said no!"  
"Dear God, Jack!" I whined. "Stop yelling at me, I didn't do anything wrong! It was late and I was tired and I didn't know what to say, jeez!"  
"Jack, what's wrong with you!? Calm down!" Crow dragged Jack away from me, and Yusei wrapped his arms gently around me, sort of protectively.  
"Don't worry about Jack," he told me, petting my hair. "He was worried."  
"You didn't really think I'd just switch sides, did you?" I said exasperatedly. "Not when I have three perfectly good idiots already?"  
"Hey. I resent that." I laughed at Yusei's martyred expression, then he continued. "But when were you going to say something about this?"  
"Well, I wasn't really going to bring it up ever again," I replied nervously. "I was just hoping I'd never have to address the situation... I was kind of going to ignore it."  
"What made you change your mind?"  
"Well, um," I stuttered. "You did, actually."  
Yusei gave me a puzzled look. "Mind explaining to me what I did?"  
Sheepishly, I explained my endeavour at 5:30 in the morning, when Halldor explained to me about my strange mark, and why it burned and how he stopped it.  
When I'd finished, his blue eyes were still processing the story, and his palm touched my mark again. The searing was gone now, and I felt my muscles relax. Now he got it.  
"You could've told me sooner, you would've saved me a lot of worrying."  
"I didn't want to bring it up," I grumbled, blushing. "I still didn't half believe it myself..."  
Yusei ruffled my bangs affectionately.  
"Oh, come on!" Crow shouted across to us. "Just kiss already!"  
It was then that I had to laugh enthusiastically at Yusei's face, which was the reddest I'd ever seen it. Honestly, I knew Crow was teasing, and I was going to shoot back a witty comment... But he'd succeeded in getting serious, indifferent Yusei Fudo embarassed. That was SO unlike Yusei, but it was also really cute.  
So because I was feeling a little happier now, and Yusei was probably the most vulnerable I'd ever seen him, I leaned in and instigated a kiss on my own. His free hand cupped my cheek, pulling me closer.  
"Like you mean it!" Jack joined in sarcastically, a string of catcalls coming on.  
I noticed Yusei hesitate a little, probably still a little embarrassed. I laughed against his lips.  
"There's always time to get back at them later," I suggested in a whisper.  
"I'll wait as long as you want me to." He regained his composure slightly, blushing a little less.  
My hands knotted in his dark hair, forgetting the world around, and our lips melded together indefinitely; his right hand ghosted up my forearm to lay over my mark, while the other rested lightly on my waist.  
The sun was setting quickly, and Yusei let me stay the night with him, the both of us ignoring all of Crow's and Jack's allusions and innuendos.  
The next morning, Yusei and I got up early and removed the front wheel of the Blackbird, leaving it at the bottom of a crate of screws, and took out Jack's CPU and hid it in a coffee mug at the back of the cupboard.  
See how they like ithat/i.

I was concerned about Jack. Apparently, he'd dueled Dragan in the past and had won by a set up. He was upset about it, and it was concerning everyone else.  
I was making my way home the previous day, where I ran into Jack on the bridge. He looked deep in thought.  
I pulled over and called to him. "Hey, what's up?"  
He gave a noncommital grunt and didn't look at me.  
"Oh, come on Jack. What is it this time?" I pressed. "You're bringing out my paranoia."  
Jack just stared out into the distance, seeming almost detached from the world completely.  
"Look, if this is about Team Ragnarok... Don't beat yourself up over it."  
"Oh yeah?" he finally spoke bitterly, with an edge that told me to go away.  
"Yeah," I emphasized. "You're already a great duelist, Jack. If you weren't, you wouldn't have been a famous turbo duelist, and you wouldn't be where you are today. Take it from me, I stink at dueling."  
"Oh, please. I know Yusei used to practice duel with you all the time."  
His point being, he was telling me that Yusei was a better duelist than he was.  
"Yeah... And you might be right about that. But you're forgetting something important."  
"And what's that?"  
"Who was the one who gave Yusei the drive to become a better duelist?"  
He was silent again, staring out at the aquaduct.  
"Chew on that for a while," I suggested; then I left him alone.

The next day, I didn't see any of them, but I was getting the vibe that Jack was feeling much better. Yusei and Crow must've talked to him, too.  
Our race wasn't until tomorrow, but I decided to attend the guys' to support them.  
When I entered the stands and got a lot of gross guys staring at me, I decided this was one experience I was not going to repeat.  
I sat between Trudge and Mina, seperating him from the madness of Mina, Carly, and that whack waitress from the cafe's madness. I wondered if they were aware of Krystal's existence.  
Kage and Raven weren't with me; Raven had to work a couple shifts at Bootleg, and Kage's parents were in town for the day. However, they sent their good luck with me.  
Nervously, I stared down at the track where Jack and Dragan's duel runners were placed parallel to each other.  
I tried to look away when I felt Halldor's Rune Eye focus up at me. I glanced his way once, and he had never wavered his gaze; I caught both Yusei and Crow glaring in his direction.  
I heaved my attention back to the track, where both duel runners suddenly shot forward.  
Jack's duel runner pulled ahead of Dragan's suddenly, rounding the first turn. It was his turn.  
"My draw!" Jack declared. "I summon Top Runner! I then end my turn with two facedowns!"  
Something was up with them both... They seemed different somehow.  
"My turn! I summon Garm of the Nordic Beasts! Next, I'll play a facedown and end my turn!"  
Jack quickly drew a card. "I summon Power Breaker! Now, level 4 Top Runner, tune with level 4 Power Breaker! Behold, in an inferno of power and might, a blazing new beast is now formed! Behold, the Red Dragon Archfiend!"  
Yeah, something was up. Was this possibly a complete repeat of their first duel? But what was going to happen next?  
"Now, Red Dragon, attack Garm of the Nordic Beasts! Absolute Power Force!"  
"I play my facedown, the trap Nordic Relic Rushing Garmen!"  
This was a strange card. I wonder what it did.  
"This ability changes the attack points of one of my monsters to match one of yours! And I'm choosing your Red Dragon Archfiend!"  
So this was the game-changer? There had to be more to it.  
"But that's not all! Since Garm's been powered up by this effect, if he successfully destroys one of your monsters, you take damage equal to his attack points!"  
Jack had to have some counter. I mean, come on. It's Jack.  
"I play a trap, Reaction Summon! Now that one of your monsters has gained attack points, I'm allowed to summon a level 4 or below monster from my Graveyard. And the monster I summon is Top Runner!"  
Aha! I knew it.  
"And now, I activate its special ability! It gives my Red Dragon Archfiend a power boost!"  
3600 attack points!  
"Go, Red Dragon Archfiend! Attack with Absolute Power Force!"  
Now Dragan took the 600 points in damage. Something told me that this duel wasn't nearly over, that Dragan would have more than just one card trick up his sleeve.  
"But it's not over! You see Jack, since Garm has been destroyed, I'm now allowed to summon this monster directly from my hand! Now rise, Protector of the Nordic Beasts in defense mode!"  
"Top Runner, attack Protector of the Nordic Beasts with all your might!"  
Jack's monster charged, but nothing happened; they were of equal power.  
"Wait, but why would he attack if he knew nothing would happen?" Carly thought out loud, mumbling to herself.  
"Because it's part of Top Runner's effect," I answered blandly. "In order to keep Red Dragon Archfiend's attack up, he needs it to remain on the field; Top Runner is destroyed if it doesn't attack this turn."  
I didn't hear anything out of her after, so I was mildly satisfied.  
"Now, I place one card facedown and end my turn," Jack said, and the field was tossed to Dragan.  
"My draw! First, I switch Protector of the Nordic Beasts from defense mode to attack mode! And with this switch, I can now summon another Nordic Beast from my deck to the field! I summon Grisngr of the Nordic Beasts!"  
An effect to bring out a monster... He was probably going to Synchro Summon.  
"Next, because you have a Synchro monster on your field, I can now summon out the tuner monster, Ghoul Foxy of the Nordic Beasts!"  
What was he going to Synchro, then? He must have something up his sleeve.  
"Now, without further ado, level 4 Ghoul Foxy, tune with level 3 Protector and level 3 Grisngr! Behold, as the Nordic glaciers of old give way, and from the deepest chasms of ice, the old and powerful hero emerges! A hero who wields the quaking power of a thundering avalanche! Behold, Thor, Lord of the Aesir!"  
My Trinity Knot... It burned. My nails dug into the fabric of my jacket, and my muscles clenched. I smothered the green glow with my palm, trying to focus on the duel.  
"Your ace monster has only 3500 ATK points," Jack pointed out. "And as you recall, due to Top Runner's ability, my Red Dragon Archfiend has 3600! These numbers add up to just one thing: my monster's still king of the hill!"  
"Well," Dragan had countered quickly, "he's about to be knocked off of it! I activate Thor's special ability! With it, once per turn, I can negate the special ability of one of my opponent's monsters and then use it for myself! Or should I say, for Thor, Lord of the Aesir!"  
Oh, great. How was Jack going to pul himself out of this one?  
"And the ability I choose to negate and take is Top Runner's! Now, Thor, Lord of the Aesir's attack points are boosted by 600!"  
Well, there went Jack's big monster. Now Thor had 4100 ATK points.  
I felt a ringing in my ears, and I pushed myself to forget about it.  
"Now, Thor, Lord of the Aesir, attack Red Dragon Archfiend! Go, Polarizing Pound!"  
Poor Jack took the 1100 attack points to his life... I bet he was taking an even more intense hit to his ego.  
My head pounded, the world spun around me. I didn't even have control over myself-my hand slipped off of my arm, and my body went limp. I didn't even feel myself hit the ground.

It'd only seemed like two seconds, and then I'd opened my eyes. I didn't recognize where I was.  
The entire area was big and white, sort of a big spacious room that was covered with bright lights.  
"The circuit is nearly complete."  
Circled around me were three chairs, towering over me.  
The smallest one laughed maniacally. "Why'd you pick this one, Jakob? I tell you time and time again, it's too small!"  
"Have you no eyes?" the biggest one said. "Z-ONE has sent Morrigan to us."  
"Aw, no, she's scary!" the littlest one complained. "Why'd he have to send HER?"  
"All in due time, Lester," the largest one said.  
"Why do we even need her?" a third, middle-sized one said. "Morrigan is not necessary for the completion of the circuit."  
"But she is necessary for the disposal of those ridiculous children."  
"Hah, oh, yeah," the smallest one scoffed. "Send the Phantom Queen to dispose of Yusei Fudo. How do you suppose that will impact the nexus?"  
"The future will change for the better," the biggest man replied. "It was Yusei's fault the future was ravaged. If he does not exist, everyone will be better off."  
I found my lips. "Shut up!"  
"Well," the middle-sized man said. "she is finally aware."  
"If you touch him, I'll make you suffer!"  
"Bold words for such a helpless human being," the biggest one countered. "Why must you be so difficult?"  
"Yusei has done too much for everyone in New Domino City and a world without him is one a lot of people don't want to live in, including me!" I shouted.  
"Insignificant bearer," the biggest man scoffed. "You have no room for words on this matter."  
"Yes, Jakob," the middle-sized one agreed. "I think it's about time we send this nuisance back to her own dimension."  
"I'm not done with you yet!" I protested. Suddenly, my Trinity Knot was glowing; for some reason, this time brought no pain. "If you mess with him, you're messing with me too!"  
My voice, for some reason, took on a double bass, and a green light filled the room. The three men looked away, squinting, and I glared up at them. The light suddenly increased and enveloped the scene, warming me to the tips of my fingers.  
Once I could see again, I found myself looking into the silvery blue eyes of a beautiful dark-haired woman, who smiled malevolently at me.

* * *

**Yeah. One of my FF buddies Rimu-Chan helped me get out of my block for this chapter, and actually, the character at the end was her idea ^^ Shout out to her!**

**We have a few chapters left until the end of the story! Hope you enjoyed this, because it just gets quicker from here on!**

**Thanks for reading! **

**See ya ;D**

**-Eibon**


	14. Cellophane

Misery Business 13

**Merry belated Christmas, everyone! I've been on a hiatus for a bit, but now I'm back! Currently working on the next chapter, muscling through a pretty bad block. I think this part is pretty interesting... Well, enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 13: Cellophane

The light streamed through the windows, hot as it landed on my face. When I rolled over, my forehead bumped something hard and wooden.

"Oow," I complained, opening my eyes to glare at whatever had interrupted my sound sleep.

I sat up and rubbed the spot on my forehead, staring irritatedly at the guys' couch. I'd for some reason fallen asleep on the floor, and hit my head on the wooden leg of the couch.

I wobbled to my feet, and stumbled. My head felt heavy and foggy; jeez, that nightmare had been awful.

Wait! What day was it?! Where were the guys?! This WAS their place... Their duel runners were all here... But where was Yusei's D-Wheel?

Wait, where was my duel runner?

It obviously wasn't inside, so maybe I'd left it out?

I ran up the stairs, peering out the door; nope, nowhere to be seen.

There were footsteps as Crow came clunking down the stairs, yawning and scratching at his orange hair falling into his eyes.

"Hey, Crow," I called lazily. "You seen my duel runner?"

When he didn't answer, I jumped down the steps. "Hey, are you seriously ignoring me?"

Crow yawned again and took a pack of instant coffee out of the cupboard, pouring it into the coffee pot.

"_CROW_!" I shouted. "EARTH TO BIRD-BRAIN! ARE YOU DENSE, OR SOMETHING?!"

Crow continued to make coffee, completely ignoring my shouts and protests.

"Croooooow!" I complained, and pushed him forward.

Only, my hands went right through him.

"What the-" this was a total mind screw. I waved my hands at him again, and they passed through Crow's torso like he was a ghost or something.

Okay... Something freaky was going on.

Then Jack came tripping down the stairs. Why was everyone so tired around here?

"What time is it?" Crow yawned.

"Almost noon," Jack grumbled. Then he glanced around. "He's still not back yet?"

"Guess not," Crow said lazily. "I think everyone called it a night but Yus."

"Why couldn't he have just filed a missing persons report and waited by the phone like every normal person?" Jack scowled and took a mug from Crow, taking a swig.

"I dunno," Crow sighed. "But this is Yusei, remember?"

"What's your point?"

"Hey, I'm as worried about Silvan as the next guy, but I'm not going to go looking all across the country for her. I'm pretty sure he's made it his mission to do just that."

"Wait, what?" I said, knowing they couldn't hear me. "Keep speaking, Hogan! What happened to me?"

"We should probably go looking for him," Jack grumbled. "He's probably ready to drop dead from lack of sleep."

"Stupid won't admit it, though. Might hurt his pride."

"C'mon," Jack sighed. "We'd better go round up the others and look for him."

"Ughh," Crow grumbled.

They both ambled to their duel runners and took their sweet time leaving; I was actually kind of offended. Nice to know that my friends actually cared whether or not I was around.

Poor Yusei, though. If anything, I would've hoped that he'd not be so caring. Sometimes, he has this bad habit of putting everyone else before his own needs. I reeeeeally hate when he does that.

But seriously, what had happened?

I decided to amble around in search of a clue or something.

What was that dream again? Wasn't it in Sector Security or whatever?

I'm not sure, my head is still kinda foggy...

I stumbled out the door and walked all the way to HQ, which was longer than I thought without a duel runner. I was barely halfway through downtown when my feet felt like they were going to snap off.

On the bright side, I didn't have to worry about bumping into people. I just went right through them.

However, for some odd reason, I couldn't walk through inanimate objects. I tried to walk through a light pole and promptly smacked my forehead on the metal thing, which was followed by a string of curses that were (luckily) not heard by anyone else.

So, like any normal person, I actually had to open the door to the Security building, which had to have looked pretty weird to people who couldn't see me.

I went down to the garage, and strangely, the door was already open.

When I walked in, Yusei was sitting on my couch, staring blankly across the room at my duel runner. My whole area was clean and totally untouched, which was weird. It was ALWAYS messy. I'm sure he knew something was up, too.

I sat cross-legged at his feet, trying to piece things together.

All I could remember was that weird nightmare, and those guys talking bad about Yusei... Then there was that weird woman or whatever. Then I woke up... I dunno, weird stuff.

"We'll figure it out," I sighed, even though I knew he couldn't hear me.

I could see the gears in his head moving, so to speak, and wondered what the heck was going on in there.

I smacked my forehead thoughtlessly. _Uh... Doy! You can read people's minds, remember?_

I know I promised myself I'd never read Yusei's mind... But there's no way I could talk the truth out of him like normal, so what other choice did I have?

I hefted the wall shielding me from the outer world easily from my mind, the icy burn nothing to me now.

His mind was RACING, and I mean RACING. Was it possible to think this fast?

There were a lot of different things running through his mind, mostly about me; the most prominent rushed into my ears.

_ She couldn't have gone far, not without her duel runner... Still, it's strange that she's nowhere in the city that I've been. She couldn't have run off, and everything is in its place, almost like she hasn't been here for a while... Maybe Halldor would have some idea?_

Halldor? As in the stuck-up head of Team Ragnarok? I made the safe assumption that Team 5D's had moved onto the finals.

Yusei got up and walked out the door again, closing it behind him.

Well, at least I knew he wasn't overreacting. Just worried, that's all. Make that the first time I approve of Yusei getting worried over something.

I got up from where I was seated on the floor and went over to my duel runner, running my fingertips along the shiny silver body. I wondered if I could still ride it... But wouldn't that look weird with no rider?

I sighed and turned back to walk out of the room, while I suddenly almost smacked foreheads with that same woman from my nightmares; I got a better look at her this time.

Tall and ethereal with pale white skin, contrasted deeply by the heavy noir curls that fell below the waist; eyes the EXACT color as mine, I was totally sure. I totally would've been happy to meet her, only she was smiling at me with this evil smirk that was sort of like she wanted to kill me.

"Um?" I said. "Hello?"

"I suppose Z-ONE was correct," the woman sighed in a light voice, sharp with judgement. "You are quite small for a mogul."

"_Don't_ call me small," I grumbled. "I'll break off your feet and stick 'em on your head. See how YOU like being "small"." **(A/N: I will love you forever if you understand this reference)**

"And fiery, too," she laughed with a sort of cold edge. "I suppose I could make do with you."

'Make do?' What was that supposed to mean?

"What's going on?" I demanded. "Why can't anyone see me?! What happened?"

"Oh dear, you still haven't figured it out? Well, I think I should give you a few hints, then. You see, my name is Morrigan. I am a goddess."

"Ok," I said slowly. "I've never been big on religion, but I'm pretty sure there's only one God."

"Fool," she huffed under her breath. "Humans have long since lost faith in the deities of old. I am goddess of war and death, ruler of trinity."

"Excuse my terrible mythology, but I thought Ares and Hades were war and death."

"Fool," Morrigan grumbled again. "I am not Greek."

"Then what are you?" I retorted. "Cuz if you're a goddess, you obviously aren't a famous one."

Now, I know what you're thinking; trash talking a goddess? Not a very good idea. Then again, this is me we're talking about. I don't care for much of anything nowadays.

"Rude young lady," Morrigan scoffed. "Perhaps not to you, but I am well within this world even when you don't know me to be."

When I was about to ask what she meant, Morrigan pulled back her flowing sleeve and brandished a dark tattoo embroidered on her left forearm: three intertwined and encircled ovals.

My brain registered, and my right wrist automatically flew to the spot on my left arm, where I knew my Trinity Knot had been burnt in. They were the same marks.

"Ah, so you have finally held your tongue. Have the pieces fit together yet?"

"Well, you and I have the same mark," I thought out loud. "That means you must be, like, a part of me...?"

"Oh, I love epiphanies, don't you?"

"But that doesn't explain what I'm doing here, out of sight and physical form," I protested.

"I've simply removed you from the present dimension and placed you in a temporary purgatory. Nothing to be puzzled of."

"Purgatory?! Last time I checked, I am not dead!"

"Oh, no, of course not. Well, not yet at least."

"Not... Yet...?"

"I cannot release all details to you quite yet. Z-ONE finds you... Interesting. When the world perishes, he would like you to live."

"Waitwaitwaitwait," I said quickly. "Who is Z-ONE? And since when is the world perishing?"

"Z-ONE is the master of the future. He is one of the last human beings to live in the future era, and he is destroying New Domino City in order to save the future."

She said that like it was a good thing!

"Yusei and the rest of the Signers will stop him," I hissed.

"No, I'm afraid your friends will be too preoccupied with your rescue and their silly Grand Prix to bother."

"No," I echoed her. "They aren't stupid. They'll find some way."

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid your fate has already been decided." Morrigan gave a sour smirk. "as have the fates of your companions. You might as well be grateful that Z-ONE has decided to let you live."

"I'd rather die," I grumbled under my breath.

"Well, then it's too bad for you, isn't it?" Morrigan laughed bitterly. "Ta-ta, dear human. Enjoy your last few days in New Domino City!"

"Wait-" I protested, but she was already gone.

How had some "supreme master of the future" gotten help from a damn goddess? And why did it have to be me that she decided to torture with that information?

There was nothing I could do to help, so far. I didn't see any loopholes, any backdoors, nothing to help anyone's situation for THIS future. There were so many people that this "Z-ONE" was planning to destroy, and it was completely unfair to me that I knew about it and couldn't pass on the message.

But what if someone else could?

It occurred to me, there were a lot of average people who couldn't see me because I was in a different realm. A different world, so to speak. Maybe I could find someone to see into my "world" and pass on the message to someone of importance!

I wondered briefly if Halldor could see me. Even better... Would Luna see me?

I'd try wherever I could first, but before I would, I decided to leave some reference that I was not dead, nor was I missing.

Scrapping around in the neat things that, ironically, I could find NOTHING in, I found a sheet of rendering paper and a Sharpie. I wrote:

_ Trapped in limbo. No one can see me. Total mind screw. Don't look for me, I'm probably right next to you. Bad things are coming; prepare for the worst. Looking for someone who can see me._

_ Silvan_

* * *

I really didn't want to walk all the way back to look for Luna. I'd decided to try her first, since Halldor and his buddies might be long gone by now.

I decided to go down to the impound yard and find an unclaimed vehicle that wouldn't be noticeable when ridden around by an invisible person. Eventually I found a little duel board, like the one Leo usually rode around, and was able to get it working with a few minor modifications.

Hopefully passing people wouldn't notice a little skateboard rolling through downtown with no rider.

I rode out through the back entrance, avoiding sight of any guards on duty, and exited onto the main boulevard. I stayed close to the sidewalk and rode quickly up the street, towards the quieter side of town.

I briefly wondered how a guard would take a random skateboard rolling into the Tops...

I whipped around the guard tower and rode up the hill, propelling myself along the way.

At the top of the hill, I started really missing my duel runner; riding a duel board was hard work.

Skating down the main avenue, everything seemed pretty quiet. Then a duel runner sped past me, very nearly running me over. I briefly considered yelling that he'd almost killed me, then I remembered that it wouldn't do any good anyway.

The duel runner pulled into a familiar driveway along the asphalt, where the rider dismounted and approached a young man standing on the porch.

Then I realized that it was Raven who almost ran me over, and she had just pulled into Kage's front yard. Curious, I skated over towards the yard, and loitered next door, trying to remain in earshot of whatever they were saying.

"Well, it's done," Raven sighed.

"I can't believe it's over," Kage said, sounding disappointed. "And we were so close!"

What were they talking about?

"I guess it's up to Team 5D's to take down Team New World."

"It's not fair," Kage grumbled. "We didn't even get a fighting chance! Leave it to Silvan to disappear right before probably the most important duel ever!"

"Hey, it's not her fault," Raven countered. "You heard them, she's not anywhere, and she even left her duel runner. There's got to be something going on."

"It'd better be good," Kage huffed. "I don't want to have forfeited for nothing."

They forfeited the race?! Why?! They could've gone in with only two people, or at least found a replacement! We'd been in the semi-finals, that was too close to winning! And Kage was blaming_ me_ for it?

_Harsh_.

I boarded past them uncaringly, towards where Luna and Leo lived. I felt kind of bad about it now, but they'd definitely know that I'd want them to compete without me. It meant a lot to them, and now they'd just thrown it away because I wasn't there.

I never realized what a vital part of that team I was...

Up at the crest over the city, I finally approached Leo and Luna's place. I opened the door a crack and peered in, just in case they were inside and got freaked out by a random door swinging open.

When there was no movement, I slipped inside and glanced all around the spacious apartment, taking a walk through just in case they were inside.

Nobody home, unfortunately.

I sighed, running a hand through my bangs, and crumpled into a sitting position on the floor. All that way on a skateboard for nothing. A skateboard, for crying out loud!

I really didn't want to go all the way back to look for her, but I also didn't want to be here alone for the next seven hours or so.

Eventually, my fear of being alone won out and I exited the apartment, taking the downhill route out of the Tops.

I'd thought riding a skateboard or something of the sort was as easy as it looked. I quickly learned that it was all about balance, and it was actually kind of like riding a duel runner. Only smaller and more likely to kill you.

Unfortunately, I tripped on it a lot after switching my feet when one got tired of propelling me forward. I suddenly had a newfound a new respect for skateboarders.

I passed by Sector Security, where I spotted Trudge pulling up. Out for a ride, maybe?

I continued on towards the rural and suburban side of New Domino, more towards the seaside and in view of the Satellite slums.

When I reached the Poppo Time Square, it was pretty late in the day; the cobblestones were sprinkled with a fine layer of dirt trailed in from traveling duel runners.

I again peeped through the window of the guys' garage; no one was in sight, but everyone's duel runners were there-even Akiza's Bloody Kiss and Leo and Luna's duel boards.

I picked my borrowed board up off of the ground and slung it under my arm, gently opening the door and closing it silently behind me. I heard voices upstairs, and decided to go and investigate.

I set down the board on the coffee table midway up the stairs and continued into the next room. The first thing I saw was the guys crowded around a sheet of rendering paper, exactly the one I'd been writing on this afternoon.

After a few seconds, Crow scoffed. "Yep. Sounds like Silvan, all right."

"It's certainly her handwriting," Jack added. Yusei kept quiet, blue eyes scanning the paper with careful scrutiny.

"What does it say?" Akiza asked quietly from the sofa.

"Trapped in limbo. No one can see me. Total mind screw," Yusei read. "Don't look for me, I'm probably right next to you. Bad things are coming; prepare for the worst. Looking for someone who can see me. Silvan."

"What does that even mean?" Leo asked lazily.

"It means there's something going on," Yusei answered. "and Silvan knows what it is. Something tells me someone doesn't want her to spread the news."

_Yay_, I thought._ Yusei's a smart person. _

Well, _duh._

I leaned lazily against the doorway, watching their expressions change and their conversation deepen.

It was about a few seconds in when Leo said, "Luna, what are you staring at?"

Then I noticed her big greenish eyes staring directly at me, a little puzzled and curious.

Looking around, I asked, "You can see me?"

Abruptly, she nodded, probably stunned into silence.

"Thank God!" I sighed, and collapsed on the stairs. "You have no idea what I've been through today!"

"Luna?" Yusei asked curiously.

"Y-Yes?" she stuttered.

"Something the matter?"

"I'm not crazy, am I?" she asked me quietly.

"No," I laughed. "To be honest, I thought I was having a really bad nightmare."

"How come I can-"

"See me?" I interrupted. "Well, I had this hunch that you might be able to see me because you can see Duel Monster spirits... I don't think anyone else can, otherwise we would not be having this problem."

"Luna!" Leo complained. "What are you doing?!"

"Be quiet Leo!" Luna shushed. "I'm talking to Silvan!"

A hush fell over the room immediately, like they were trying to process what she'd just said.

Crow was the first one to laugh. "Um, Luna... Are you sure you got enough sleep last night?"

"Oh, zip it, bird-brain," I scoffed. "I'm pretty sure that you were the one who almost killed yourself tripping down the stairs this morning. Tell him I said that."

And she did. Which was awesome, considering the look on his face.

"Did she say anything else?" Yusei asked; I'd obviously captured his full attention through Luna.

"Yes," I said. "Tell him that he needs to worry less and go get some sleep."

"She says that you need to worry less and go get some sleep," Luna replied in a small voice. There were times when I felt that Luna's innocence was just a little sad.

Yusei gave her a soft look. "Maybe if she didn't get herself into such bad situations, I would be forced to worry less."

"No," I said snidely. "You just have to have no worries. Hakuna Matata, man."

"She says you need to have no worries."

"Maybe I should learn to fly, too," he retorted.

"Hey, this is no time for sarcasm," I grumbled. "In case you haven't noticed, nobody can see me except for Luna."

"She says that this is no time for sarcasm and that if you haven't noticed, only I can see her."

"Moody today, are we?"

"Hey," I sniped. "You'd be mad too if you woke up with the opaqueness of cellophane."

Luna replied with what I'd said, and I felt kind of bad for having such a sweet girl say all of my snippety comments.

Yes, I am snippety. I will admit that much.

"So why does she have the opaqueness of cellophane?" Yusei asked, curiosity in his suddenly lighter ocean eyes.

"I don't think speaking through you is very effective, Luna," I sighed. "Could you ask him if there's anything I could write on?"

"She wants to know if there's anything she can write on."

Then the awkward silence that had descended on the room moments before was broken, and the guys were shuffling around for something for me to write with.

Eventually, Yusei just opened up Word Documents on the computer.

I sat down in the swivel chair and started typing up a description of today's adventures, which was probably weird considering no one could see me but Luna. The whole time, everyone was reading over my shoulder, word for word.

"Ta-da!" I said. "That's what happened today." then I typed that under my document.

Then everyone was asking me questions, while Yusei just stood there and tried to process all of the information I'd just shared with him.

"Do you honestly expect us to believe that a goddess put you in limbo?" Crow said. "Get real!"

_ Get a brain_, I typed._ If there's an invisible person right in front of you, it's safe to say that there is no viable explanation that obeys the laws of physics._

"What did you say was her name?" Yusei asked.

_ Morgan, Morigon, Morrigan_, I typed. _Not sure how to spell it. _

"I'll have to look into it..."

"Maybe one of those security higher-ups would know," Jack sniped. "They've gotta be sitting on all kinds of secrets."

"It could be something to do with Yliaster," Akiza suggested quietly. I wasn't aware she wanted to even be a part of this mess. I was half convinced that she still didn't like me.

"Whatever is going on, we should clear it up as soon a we can. It sounds like we have a city to save."

"Again," Jack grumbled.

"First thing's first, we should find a way to get you back into this dimension and not see-through so that you won't miss anything this time."

Yusei half-smiled, then his expression went back to indifferent.

Guess he was back to holding out on me.

_ Hey_, I typed, realizing that something was missing. _Where's Bruno?_

It was then that everyone was brought to that realization.

Where _was_ Bruno?

* * *

**Shorter than I would've liked it to be... **

**Slight cliffhangar; SPOILER ALERT. It kind of drags through the next couple of chapters XD**

**But yes. Silvan has been dragged into an alternate dimension by the Celtic goddess of war and death, Morrigan. Also the patron of Trinity, which is ironically Silvan's mark. :D**

**Thanks for reading!**

**See ya ;D**

**-Eibon**


	15. Telescope

Misery Business 14

**So, here is the next chapter! I usually finish these late in the night, then sleep on them and try to get new ideas through the night, then write the next morning. This thought came into my head the night after I published the last chapter, and with a few little tweaks, I felt satisfied with it.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 14: Telescope

The weird thing about this morning was that when I rolled over, my head hit the side of the guys' couch.

I opened my eyes quickly, since I distinctly remembered falling asleep in Leo and Luna's living room the previous night.

Of course, it hurt, but when I sat up, I was more confused than I was in pain. I was exactly where I'd been the morning before, only this time, I saw myself curled up on the couch. Was I having a serious out-of-body experience? Or was this really just a nightmare?

I got up abruptly and waved my hands through myself, which passed right through like I'd thought it would. But I could touch the couch...

Crow slid down the stairs, just a little more energetic than he'd been the day before. Then he sauntered to the couch and shook me awake.

"Silvan! Get off the couch, you've been sleeping like twelve hours."

My sleeping form groaned and rolled over. "Five more minutes..."

"Get up!" Crow gave my body a shove, and she rolled off of the couch and onto the concrete at my feet.

"Oooow," my body groaned, and glared at Crow in annoyance. "I'm sleeping, here!"

"Okay, okay, jeez," Crow grumbled. "Just thought you might want to wake up today instead of tomorrow..."

"Okay, okay, I'm up," she sighed, jumping up an running a hand through her hair.

I was slightly confused by this. Why was I watching myself live? Even stranger, why was I watching myself live _YESTERDAY_?

Yusei came down the ladder and gave a little laugh. "Finally awake?"

"Oh, shut up," my body grumbled.

This was weird. I got up and kind of trotted around the room, trying to figure out what was going on.

I glanced outside; the sun was only a quarter of the way into the sky, signaling that it was before noon. At least I hadn't squandered my day yet.

I saw my duel runner parked outside, and slipped through the crack in the door to go examine it. I'd never leave my duel runner outside, or unattended. Something weird was going on.

"Hey, get away from my duel runner!"

I spun around immediately, where the version of me I'd seen was standing there with her hands on her hips. I realized that she was talking to me.

I'm sure she saw my confusion, because it was a couple seconds later she threw her head back and laughed. "Do you like my new look?"

I tried to process what she'd said... Then I noticed the strange light in the eyes that I'd thought were my own.

"Morrigan," I realized, and spoke through my teeth.

"I think I like this form better than my own," she mused. "I may just keep it."

"What's going on?!" I demanded.

"I've simply taken your place," the goddess replied nonchalantly, examining her (MY) nails. "You see, no one was supposed to know of your absence. Because you and your friends so _annoyingly_ changed the way things were supposed to go, I decided to take matters into my own hands."

Changed the way things were supposed to go? I'd thought that I'd be mad about it, but actually, the first thing I felt was triumph. Why? Because this was the first sign I got that said the future could be changed the way we wanted, and that Morrigan and "Z-ONE" didn't want us to.

I'm not sure if she knew of my sudden epiphany, but I didn't intend to let her know that I knew.

"I've taken desperate measures, thanks to you," Morrigan sniffed. "I've had to block the little girl's vision, which was quite the pain, and I've recreated all of the day before, how it should've gone." Morrigan's smug smirk on my face looked so terribly accurate, I knew that no one would see through her. She had me down to a tee.

And she knew it, too. My triumph had suddenly faded into displeasure. How was I supposed to beat her now that she'd sealed off all my exits, so to speak?

With a scoff, Morrigan's face became a pit of darkness. "Now, get away from my duel runner."

Gritting my teeth, I thought quickly. "No!" then I jumped on and punched the engine, shooting off towards downtown New Domino.

"Hey!" I heard in the distance, but I wasn't about to stop.

I_ had_ to find something to do, so that I'd be seen by other people. I decided to head to Satellite, somewhere where I could blend into the scenery and go unnoticed. For now, at least. I didn't want Morrigan to come after me.

Then again, she looked just like me. She could probably find me if she wanted to.

I crossed the Daedalus bridge quickly and headed into the slums, towards an old factory outlet that I'd normally scavenged from in my earlier days.

I hid my duel runner amidst a mountain of crates and passed before a large but shattered mirror; however, it was enough that I was able to know that I couldn't see myself in it.

After a long while of sifting through crate after crate of pots, pans, rivets, brackets, and all sorts of other equipment, I finally found a jet black riding suit that slid easily over my jeans and bikini top. Sadly, I had to ditch my jacket and boots, but I hid them where I knew I could look for them later.

I could finally see the majority of myself in the shards of the mirror now. I was able to see at least the shape of my head when I found a black riding helmet and slipped it on.

Through some more boxes, I came across a somewhat scratched up pair of black boots made out of a sturdy leather, and fairly new black gloves that were thin enough to slip over the ones I already had. When I looked in the shards of the mirror, I looked like some black creature of the night.

Well, at least I could be seen.

I hopped back on my duel runner and rode down through the slums to my old shop on the border, which was still locked up the way I'd left it.

I opened it up and sifted around for some extra cards, or at least my old stash of spending money that I could take down to a store and buy a temporary deck since Morrigan had mine.

Eventually, I came across enough to go down and buy myself a temporary turbo deck. I picked up a Gear deck, something more similar to my Machines.

Once that was done, I found an old PDA in my shop and re-wired it so that I had some way to communicate.

Then, I kind of ran out of ideas. What exactly was I supposed to do next?

To help gain advice, I decided to try the oldest trick in the book.

I headed up towards the better side of the B.A.D. Area, and knocked on the door of my old caretaker's house.

Lo and behold, Martha opened the door. With one look up and down, she gave me a shifty look. "May I help you?"

I whipped out my re-wired PDA and typed, _Martha, it's me, Silvan. I really need some advice._

Suspiciously, she looked at me again. Obviously, she didn't believe me.

I sighed. _What do I need to say to prove it to you, Martha? You're a saint? I didn't break anything this time? I fixed your heating system last Mother's Day?_

That seemed to do it. She opened her door a little more, and her expression became exasperated. "What did you do this time, Silvan?"

"I messed up really bad," I typed in reply. _There's this girl going around dressed and looking and acting like me, and she even has the guys believing that she is me. I don't know what to do._

"Silvan, they are your friends, right?"

_ Yes..._

"Then they'll believe what YOU say, and even if they don't, she may slip up and reveal herself, even if she doesn't realize."

_ Yeah, maybe you're right. Thanks, Martha._

"Anytime, Silvan. Now, why are you going around in all black, speaking through a cell phone?"

_ It's sort of confidential._

"Too confidential that you can't even tell me?" Martha's face was lenient, but also sort of offended.

_ Need to know, Martha. I promise._

"Keep yourself out of trouble, Silvan. If those boys drop by, I'll make sure to talk their ears off."

I smiled, even though the couldn't see. _Thank you, Martha!_

I left feeling the slightest bit better, even though I still didn't know what to do next.

But I went off riding towards the city, because I was contemplating (if not willing) to test Martha's advice.

Once I'd crossed over onto Daedalus, I suddenly became aware of a very familiar looking white duel runner following on my tail. The Phoenix Whirlwind, with none other than Jack Atlas in the driver's seat.

Quickly, he pulled up to my side. I pulled over quickly, and then I was surrounded by two other familiar fuel runners on all sides; the Blackbird was at my back, the Yusei Go at my front.

"That duel runner doesn't belong to you!" Jack exclaimed. "If you won't give it back, we'll be forced to take it from you!"

Were they seriously going to do Morrigan's dirty work for her?! She'd told them someone had stolen Argent, and now they were here because they thought that I was some thief!

Pissed off at Morrigan, I typed, _Over my freaking dead body!_

Then I revved my engine and shot out and around Yusei's red D-Wheel, punching the gas and heading far down the bridge and into the city.

I stayed close down on the seat of the runner in an attempt to move faster, wanting to cover as much ground as I possibly could.

I thought I'd lost them, but Jack was suddenly on my tail, signaling to duel.

I sped up on reflex, not intending to get in a duel with Jack. Without my regular turbo deck, I'd probably lose. Then I might even lose my own duel runner.

As I was beginning to speed into a 20 foot radius of Jack's duel runner, I noticed Yusei's red D-Wheel speeding up to match my own speed.

I noticed he wasn't so much as focused on me as he was on his surroundings.

He wanted a race?

Oh, well; I'd probably lose, but who better to get stuck with than Yusei? If anything, he'd be easier on me than Jack or Crow, even if he didn't know who I was.

I punched my gas and sped up and ahead of him, somewhat faster than I was used to. I didn't think I'd ever have to use my turbo, but now was as good as ever to test it out.

We tore up through New Domino and towards the desert, where I took a turn into a sidestreet before I could hit the border. The turn was quick and instantaneous, so Yusei missed it while I was able to pull a sharp U-Turn in order to change areas.

The trick would buy me some time, but not much. The downside to being left with Yusei was that he would probably catch me faster. There was no hope of outrunning him.

I turned over into a second alleyway, and strangely, I did not see or hear Yusei on my tail. The only mechanical sound near me was the sound of my own duel runner.

I ripped down the connecting capillary and towards the street again, but had to brake sharply when a familiar red D-Wheel suddenly cut me off.

I eased on the controls; I wouldn't be going anywhere.

Yusei dismounted and took off his helmet, kind of staring at me for a second.

I typed on my PDA quickly. _Look, I know you want the runner, but I really need it. I'm not giving it to her._

He kind of gave me this look; strangely, it was the same one he gave me, Silvan I mean, when I was being stupid. "I'm not taking the bike. I just want to talk."

My shoulders relaxed instinctively. Maybe it was just because I always trusted Yusei, and I still would even if he did turn on me.

_ Oh_, I typed._ What about?_

"Mind explaining to me what's going on?"

I was trying to formulate an answer, but at the same time, I had to process this.

Was he asking about why I had Argent, or...?

Then it hit me.

_ You... Know?_ I typed.

"I know you, Silvan," he replied. "And I know that whatever is walking around my apartment right now is definitely not YOU."

I was very literally speechless. Fumbling around with the PDA, I typed shakily, _B-But how?! She looks and talks and acts and does everything exactly like me! When did you figure it out?!_

"About five seconds after I woke up this morning."

_ How?!_

"She offered to cook breakfast."

* * *

**For those of you who don't know, Silvan is a lot of things. However, she is NOT a cook. She is actually very opposite of a stereotypical "housewife" kind of girl, and pretty much burns everything. The only thing she can make is that awesome microwavable instant ramen. The point is that Morrigan offered to cook the guys breakfast while Silvan was out of earshot, and Yusei knows Silvan well enough to know that she would not, nor would she EVER want to cook anybody breakfast. :D**

**Well, the first time I thought about using this, I felt really stupid and considered doing something else. Then I thought I should make it harder for Silvan to do what she does best and wiggle out of bad situations.**

**Block on the horizon for the next chapter... Patience! :'D I'm trying my best to break out the next chapter!**

**See ya ;D**

**-Eibon**


	16. Mist

Misery Business 15

**Ta-da! I'm alive!**

**Well, almost. School just started back up again and finals are on the way. Sick of waking up at 5AM. **

**Here is the next chapter! Sad to say that we're less than ten chapters from the end of the story!**

**Well, enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 15: Mist

I _really_ didn't like where this thing was going. All of Yusei's plans kind of made me uncomfortable, especially on the off chance that they didn't succeed (Usually, they did go pretty well, but they always made me slightly uneasy).

However, the reason I was so against this particular one was because it took a lot of time to put together, and he hadn't even planned out the most important part: the end.

So far, I'd given him Argent to take back to Poppo Time to show his "victory" over me, and convince Morrigan that I was no longer a problem. Then we'd hope that the day wouldn't start over and plan from there.

I know I've always trusted Yusei, but how is this supposed to help anyone of we don't even know what to do?

Good Lord, I hope he pulls something out of that battered old jacket sleeve, because I'm fresh out of ideas.

This morning, I was happy to wake up exactly where I'd fallen asleep, which meant Yusei had succeeded in fooling Morrigan. I wasn't sure about the extent of her abilities, but I was almost certain that she could do whatever she felt like.

From the junkyard, I dragged in an old and busted Delta Frame that I could at least patch up and get working, which I could probably ride around on while Argent was out of my hands. I didn't like it, but I forced myself to deal with it.

Most typically, I had stuff to do in Satellite. I usually had a time that I would go around and look for something to do, and eventually found something. Now was not one of those times. I kind of spent the day in the dark of the old garage, wanting to stay unnoticed.

I kept everything closed and locked up, and it was kind of stuffy to me.

Especially being alone, in the dark, and in a totally arid garage, I kind of re-realized my fear of being alone.

A lot of people have these really stupid fears, like darkness or pain or death or whatever.

Me? I just need someone to stand next to me when things get tough. Yeah, I know, pretty unoriginal, but I seriously don't think I could live life without someone there. Typically, Yusei filled that spot. Right now, I didn't care who it was. I was just lonely.

There was a sort of distant tapping on the door of the garage, and I ignored it because I thought it was some rocks or something getting tossed at the door, but then the tapping got louder and more like a monotonous knocking. It sort of creeped me out enough that I got up and peeked out the door; to my fascination, nothing was there.

Technically, I didn't believe in supernatural occurrences, but I was currently under house arrest by a goddess. Anything was possible.

So, I did what everyone does when they get freaked out over something totally stupid (i.e. Slenderman, the Grudge, some other random mythological killer, etc). I huddled into a corner and forced myself to fall asleep.

Being psychic _sucks_.

For one thing, all of your dreams are innately realistic and normally involve you getting fatally injured or killed. Which, mind you, actually does hurt.

In this case, I was walking in through a misty silver fog, cold and icy with the seemingly morning air.

While I walked, it felt like someone was watching me, but every time I looked behind me, there was nothing to be seen.

On one occasion, I turned my back to see nothing once more; this time, when I turned forward again, I was startled by the sight of a teenage girl, long golden blonde hair and silvery eyes that matched the mist.

At first, she was mumbling something, and then she was shouting it in my face.

_"Qui habitare voluisse! Qui habitare voluisse!"_

Startled, I turned tail and sprinted in the opposite direction, only to run straight into Morrigan, whose dark hair twisted around me, choking and deathly until I found I could no longer breathe.

When I was startled awake, I was again startled to see that same girl roaming around my shop.

My first instinct was to scream, and second was to run. Out of all my confused and disoriented emotions, I was forced to calm myself down and nervously choked out, "W-Who are you?"

In the moment that I realized that she probably couldn't hear me, given the "alternate dimension" mess, she replied, "I am the Mist."

Then it occurred to me that since she was in here, she probably wasn't a regular ol' human.

Another thing about me? I'm not good when I feel paranoid or under pressure. Usually a side effect of being so secluded and alone, because I can't often keep a level head whenever that happens.

"You can call me Kasumi," the girl replied.

"I-I'm Silvan," I stuttered, dragging myself to my feet.

"Yes, I know," she said matter-of-factly. "If I didn't know that, I wouldn't be here."

"So, er... Why are you here, exactly?"

"I am the Mist," Kasumi repeated. "I go where the wind takes me. Why don't you tell me why the wind has blown me here?"

"Look," I sighed. "I'm invisible to almost all my friends, I'm currently out of a home and out of work, and I have absolutely no idea what to do about it; on top of that, my genius best friend is trying to fix the whole thing, when he doesn't even know what to do about it! I don't know why you're here, and frankly, I don't _care_ unless you can do something about my issue!"

Kasumi stared at me for a moment, then ruffled her curly golden bangs. "Temperamental, straightforward... Just as I expected."

"You have not seen me _temperamental_," I assured her sarcastically.

"Oh, I trust you on that," she scoffed.

"Look, if Morrigan sent you-"

"Morrigan!" Kasumi threw her head back and laughed loudly, indifferently. "That excuse for a woman couldn't possibly be a threat to anyone!"

"Isn't she some all-powerful deity or something?"

"In some case."

"Expound on that, would you?"

"Have you ever heard of the Millennium Items?"

After a few long moments of empty thought, I replied, "Sorry. Doesn't ring a bell."

"Well, long ago in Ancient Egypt, there were these things called Shadow Games. It's where two people compete in a sort of penalty game, and pay the ultimate price if they lose; most typically, their mortal soul.

"In order to keep the darkness of the games locked up forever, as well as protect Egypt from invaders, an ancient spell was cast and ninety-nine human souls were sacrificed in order to create the seven Millennium Items.

"These items all had special powers, and were entrusted to six of the Pharaoh at the time's most trusted advisors. However, they were all locked away because of the danger they held and dark energy that they released."

"So," I asked, "where does Morrigan fit into this?"

"At this time, the "Morrigan" you know now served under the priestess Isis. Four of the Millennium Items were entrusted to Isis' four predecessors, to which Morrigan accidentally came across and was deeply affected by the darkness inside of them.

"Particularly, she engaged in a Shadow Game with the essences of the vengeful souls within the Millennium Key. She'd barely won, and then was given access to the power of the Millennium Key."

"And?" I pressed. I was learning a lot today.

"The primary attribute of the Millennium Key is to allow the user to shape a soul of their choice, wipe their memory, turn them into an entirely different person if they chose.

"Morrigan had been mentally effected by the Shadow Game, became power-hungry. By recreating herself, she was able to gain dark power."

It was a while until she finally continued with, "Another power of the Millennium Key is the ability to make the user or others completely invisible." Kasumi smiled. "I don't think that you're in a different dimension."

This was one huge reason why I hated not knowing things. Someone might trick me into believing something totally opposite from the truth, which in turn made me look like a total idiot.

"It doesn't end there," Kasumi said. "After being chased out of Egypt for her crimes, and as far away as Europe, she learned of Scandinavian mythology and decided to shape herself again into "Morrigan," the legendary Celtic goddess of war and death."

"Does that have anything to do with my brand at all?" I inquired, tugging at my sleeve.

"I'm not sure. The Trinity Knot is the symbol of Morrigan, but I don't know if your mark has anything at all to do with the real Celtic deity, or the fake one running around with your face. By the way, that's probably more work of the Millennium Key."

"Wait, you know about that?"

"I'm the Mist. I cover everything, and I can therefore see whatever I touch."

"If you know everything, then how do I become not-invisible again?"

"Well, to be absolutely honest, I think both ways it's possible might be pretty close to impossible."

"What?!" I complained. "You get my hopes up with this awesome, revealing story and now you tell me that it's totally _not gonna happen_?!"

"Relax," Kasumi huffed, then rolled her wide gray eyes. Something was telling me that I was wearing her out. "I'll tell you anyway, but it won't do you any good."

I waited patiently, silently for Kasumi to continue.

"The first and most obvious way would be to go and confront Morrigan, somehow make her deactivate the Millennium Key."

I scoffed. "Well, that's out of the question. She has my friends wrapped around her little finger. If I so much as get near her, I'll get stomped."

"Alright, then. The second option would be to reactivate the Millennium Puzzle."

"The what, now?"

"The Millennium Puzzle. A charm held by the Pharaoh Atem in Ancient Egypt, which formerly contained his soul. About a hundred, hundred-and-fifty years ago, a boy by the name of Yugi Motou solved the Puzzle and released Atem's spirit."

"Yugi Motou? Isn't he that one kid, the King of Games or something?"

"That's right. After the events of the unlocking of the Puzzle, the Shadow Games were released and the King of Games destroyed it along with the other Millennium Items."

"So, why does she have the Key? And if the others have been destroyed-"

"I'm getting to that," Kasumi interrupted. "In the history books, it says that Yugi Motou and the Pharaoh Atem destroyed the Millennium Items, but there are different texts that say that they were only hidden in a dark abyss."

"You're completely confusing me," I moaned.

"_Listen_!" she huffed. "Originally, Morrigan had the Millennium Key, but it was stolen from her by the Thief Bakura. Somehow, she came across it again after it'd been cast away. My guess would be that the Puzzle would be in the same place as she found the Key."

"So, we can't find it?"

"No. Your best bet is to somehow get your hands on the Key and use it yourself."

"Great," I grumbled. "Now, after that plight of totally useless information, how am I supposed to pull this off?"

"Maybe your genius friend could figure something out," Kasumi suggested in a tone that mimicked my aggravation.

After a long moment of silence, I actually considered it. "Actually... That's not a bad idea."

* * *

**Before all the critics begin to bash me about how the Millennium Items were destroyed in the first series, I AM AWARE OF THIS. THIS IS MY STORY I WILL FUCK WITH THE STORYLINE AS FREQUENTLY AS I FEEL LIKE IT.**

**Also, there will be some explanations on why this is in here in later chapters. So please, please, ****_please do not nitpick on me. _****If you feel like reading ahead, then you'll get it later. JUST BE PATIENT.**

**Gawd I love Kasumi. She belongs to my awesome amazing gorgeous incredible wondrous unbelievable cool friend, Rimu-Chan84112. DO NOT STEAL HER OR SATAN WILL RAIN DOWN YOUR THROAT WITH HOT ACID, DISSOLVE YOUR TESTICLES AND TURN YOUR GUTS INTO SNAKES.**

**[[YGOTAS reference XDDD]]**

**Thanks for reading!**

**See ya ;D**

**-Eibon**


	17. Pseudo

Misery Business 16

**Gah. I've had writer's block for a while, just thinking about how I was going to end this chapter. Lucky for me, it turns out Biology is a good place for those ideas to sprout XD** **(Get it?)**

**Choir shows coming up at the end of the week. That means a lot of time backstage to write. Hopefully, I'll pull something good out!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 16: Pseudo

"You're joking, right?"

I shook my head, concealed under the dark helmet. _It shouldn't be that hard! You're Yusei, if she's got me down, you could get away with anything._

"What's that supposed to mean?"

I blushed, even though he couldn't see. _I listen to you all the time, you can figure out something!_

"You never listen to me!"

I hung my head, trying to illustrate my displeasure through my body language. _Pleeeeeease?_

Yusei rolled his gorgeous eyes at me. "Why can I still hear you complaining to me, even though you're not talking?"

_ Pleeeeeaaase?_

"Fine, fine."

_Thank you!_ I nearly threw the phone at him, barely giving him time to read the message before I tossed my arms around his torso.

He sighed and patted the top of my helmet. "No problem."

I'd waited a few hours until it had passed noon, since Crow would be doing deliveries and Jack would be out by then. Lucky for me, Morrigan was off doing my job. I'd had the whole garage to talk to him.

Basically, I'd explained to him about the Millennium Key theory, and asked him if he could somehow get her to admit she knew about it, or even better, catch her with it.

He didn't have any ideas, but he still wasn't too psyched about the idea of getting cozy with Morrigan.

At first, I'd kind of been in awe at how he could look at me in my dark clothing and pitch black helmet and see Silvan, and look at the person who looked like me and feel totally uncomfortable. That sort of proved to me what a dedicated friend he was.

Actually, it was kind of funny after that.

Like a little kid, he'd groaned and complained, "Do I have to kiss her?"

I'd been a little aggravated by the thought, and replied, _Whatever you think will be more convincing._

Then he'd groaned again and flopped facedown on the couch, promptly and irritatedly requesting that I go away.

He was too funny these days.

As I was riding back towards Satellite, I spotted the Blackbird racing up the boulevard. Nervously, I turned down a slim side street and followed it out to the other end, hoping that it cut through so that I wouldn't have to retrace and run into Crow.

Instead of a run through to the end, I came across a huge old building nestled in the back of a square of towers.

It looked very dusty and decrepit, and I didn't feel like going inside.

But two things popped into my head:

1: I had nothing on my agenda today but sit in the dark by myself.

2: I have a nonexistent immunity to curiosity.

I got off of my (temporary) duel runner (to which I'd taken to calling Alloy) and headed towards the front of the structure.

I peeked in through the old, ornate door. Shelf after shelf of dusty books stretched through the big room; a library!

I'd never actually been in a real library. Just random rooms with books in them that weren't considered libraries because they only had one or two shelves.

Everything was all dusty, though. I had a huge dust allergy.

"A-_CHOO!_"

Oh, great. Now I'm sneezing. Well, we're past the point of no return now.

I kept my distance from the places that seemed untouched for the longest time, just looking around through the high shelves and darkened corners.

Actually, it almost reminded me of a maze in a creepy horror video game where the monster chases you to kill you.

Cool with me.

I continued in until I was at the very back wall of the building, where there was a dusty old librarian counter.

Cobwebs were strewn across a huge pile of books and scrolls, dusty texts piled in a whole different corner of the big desk.

"How'd you find this place?"

Spinning around quickly, I almost tripped on an old metal cart full of more books, then crashed over and got a face-full of dust.

Coughing wildly and trying to wipe the smudges of grit away from my helmet, I looked up and growled.

"Kasumi! You scared the crap out of me!"

The blonde teen ran a hand through her golden bangs. "It isn't my fault you're so jittery."

I glared at her through the dark glass of the helmet.

"So, answer my question. How'd you find this place?"

"I was just driving," I answered nonchalantly. "I ran across a friend, and I had to come this way to hide. I just got curious."

"I didn't even know this place was visible to humans," Kasumi mused. "It was supposed to be banished from Valhalla thousands of years ago."

"Valhalla?"

"It's an ancient heaven for Norse warriors. True heroes. This was an old information center that was banished because of the tainted information that was snuck in."

"Why is it that everything you say makes my head want to explode?"

Kasumi stared at me for a second, then rolled her eyes and hopped over a pile of old and decaying books.

I suddenly felt that woozy sensation...

_ Oh, great._

My vision faded and appeared again, as I was watching a teenage girl with messy blonde curls covering her eyes usher a small boy over a dangerous looking path of rocks.

"Kasumi... I'm scared!" the little boy exclaimed.

"It's alright, Otonashi, just think of it like hopscotch! We have to be home by sundown, and this is the only open path!"

"I don't wanna!"

"C'mon, Otonashi, it's easy! Look!" the blonde girl began hopping from crumbling stone to crumbling stone, the small boy behind her eventually following. Soon, he was laughing and enjoying the game.

The blonde girl picked the little boy up and swung him over onto a safe ledge at the other end of the overpass, giggling with him. "See? It was fun!"

The little boy's smile soon have way to horror, and the rocks under the teen girl's feet suddenly gave way. The girl fell into open air, disappearing into the rocky gorge totally shrouded in a thick covering of mist.

"_KASUMI!_"

It was strange, really; when I got my vision back, I was breathing hard and a good four feet from where I'd been standing moments before.

When I looked up, Kasumi wasn't looking at me. I stared at her expectantly, and she replied painfully, "_Please_ don't do that anymore."

It was quiet for a long moment, until I asked quietly, "Are you... Dead...?"

"More or less."

"How are you even here?"

Kasumi picked up a book and threw it at my head, which I slipped to the floor and caught at the same time.

The title of the book was called "Forgotten and Forbidden Patron Deities," and the cover was made of a worn and tattered leather.

"What-"

"You don't have to read it," she huffed. "Just skim."

I thumbed across a few pages, running across a bunch of old gods and goddesses that I'd never even heard of.

There was a page dogeared that I hadn't noticed before, in a strange lettering that I didn't recognize. For some reason, my brain read the words easily.

The heading of the page was "Iphara; Merman and Orlanth pantheon- goddess of fog."

"She wasn't officially a goddess," Kasumi sighed. "but she was immortal and powerful. She pitied me and I became her servant."

"That's kind of sad."

"Kind of!" Kasumi threw her head back and laughed. "I'm the one really stuck in limbo. I can go anywhere I want, as long as I serve Iphara as I go."

"Seriously? I'm so sorry."

"Nah, I've learned to live with it. Just the perks of_ qui habitare voluisse._"

"Wh-Wait, what?"

"Pardon?"

"What does that mean?"

"_Qui habitare voluisse_? It's Latin for he who was never meant to breathe."

I paused for a quiet minute. "Where did you get that from?"

"It's an old mythological thing. For every million people that live, there are two that are accidental creations."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, upon the creation of every being, they are all set with a particular purpose. Then these mistakes come along with no purpose and walk the world for no reason. Eventually, fate abandons them and they're left by themselves. Sometimes they're killed off, other times they live without meaning. Then there are some abandoned gods and goddesses who feel pity on them, and decide to take them on as servants or apprentices, or sometimes as family."

"Were you... One of those people...?"

"No. But I might as well be one now."

"Oh."

Kasumi glanced back down at the book. "Keep looking."

Obediently, I kept leafing through the pages until I came across a different text where the heading read, "Morrigan; Celtic pantheon- goddess of war, death, and trinity."

I didn't even read anything else. I was mad at her, even if she wasn't actually the real goddess. I slammed the book shut and threw it back at Kasumi, who caught it with one hand.

"Jeez. You're quite moody today."

"You ruined my bearable mood."

Kasumi scoffed and traipsed out of the area surrounded by books, out of the library altogether.

I huffed, not wanting to be here any longer.

On my way out, my eyes caught sight of an old and yellowing scroll, depicting a strange looking key shaped like an Egyptian ankh.

The sky began to get cloudy as I was heading back towards Satellite. Soon, fat drops of rain began to fall and created a thin layer of condensation on my windbreaker, until a downpour had ensued.

I sped up a little, wary of the slick road.

Then, strangely, when I finally approached the border on the B.A.D Area, I spotted a very familiar silver duel runner outside of my garage.

There was no one mounted on it, but I definitely knew it wasn't here on its own.

"Come out!" I called, knowing she could probably hear me. "I know you're here!"

Then she came out of the garage through the side door, light hair soaking wet.

Morrigan's eyes were dull, bangs wet and caked onto the sides of her face. She was haggard, but deadly.

"Where is it...?" she growled. "It isn't here...!"

"What?" she'd thrown me off. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play that! I know that you have it!"

"Have what?!"

The deathly look she gave jut about scared me out of my wits. Like she was going to lunge forward and murder me.

What was she accusing me of? And something so important? What could it have been?

...

Dear God._ Yusei._

Without thinking, I swung around and sped back towards the city.

There was a quick rev of an engine as Morrigan sped after me atop Argent, and it became an all-out race.

I took the main road off of Daedalus, then headed towards the suburban area of New Domino; I'd swing around then to the edge of the city where the Poppo Time clock tower was.

What had Yusei done, exactly? Had he actually _stolen_ the Millennium Key from Morrigan?

I can't believe he'd actually listened to me! Even better, he'd taken it just a step further than what I'd asked!

Down around the clock tower, the sand between the cobblestones had turned to a middle sludge. The rain still poured, but I jammed on the breaks and slid off of Alloy, pulling at the door to the guys' apartment and shutting it tightly behind me.

I was panting, afraid and nervous. It was a little bit until I realized that Jack and Crow were staring at me from across the room; all I was able to register after that was that the red duel runner wasn't here.

The door banged behind me, and I ran down the stairs, slipping on the slick concrete.

"Hey!" Jack exclaimed abruptly. "It's you again!"

I stumbled to my feet, and Jack suddenly snatched me by the collar, heaving me up into the air.

Fumbling with the PDA, I typed quickly, _Jack, I can explain..._

But he knocked the phone out of my hands before I could show the message; it skittered across the concrete and under the couch.

"Great, Jack!" Morrigan was across the room and hopped up to his side. "I've been chasing this guy for hours!" then Morrigan glared at me like I would glare at someone, and growled, "Now quit stealing my stuff, idiot!"

_ I didn't_, I wanted to protest, but they wouldn't hear me anyway.

"Time to see who you really are!" Jack hooked a hand under my helmet, intending to pull it off.

For a second, I was afraid of what he would think; I was invisible to the world, and I would look like I was headless.

I squeezed my eyes shut and the helmet came off, and suddenly Jack dropped me and took a couple steps back. His violet eyes were no longer sharp, but wide with surprise.

I held my hands up in surrender, weakly biting my lip and staring at them with wide eyes.

"S...Silvan?"

That was a shock to me.

I looked at my helmet on the ground and snatched it up, looking at my own reflection. I touched my face, then let my hand fall.

I could see myself! But how...?

Then there were footsteps upstairs. I looked up.

Yusei turned the silver ankh over in his hands, then smiled down a little. "Phew. Finally got this thing to work."

* * *

**Playing with this story is a lot of fun. Things will get normal after this next chapter, promise :)**

**Thanks for reading! **

**See ya ;D**

**-Eibon**


	18. Fatigued

**Heeeey, sorry about bit posting for a while! I've had to deal with a lot of crap in the past few weeks, but now it's Spring Break and I was able to press past my writer's block. By the way, does anyone know how to deal with a druggie drummer who thinks everything that breathes should love him? **

***sigh* Anyways, this chapter takes place a day after the last. Sorry for the cliffhanger. That's where my block rose up. I'm hoping I've filled in the blanks enough for everyone to understand.**

**Enjoy! **

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Chapter 17: Fatigued

I tossed and turned, the eyes of my attacker burned into my mind.

The exact copy of mine. Was I to be the cause of my own demise?

The nightmare continued, sending shivers along my spine.

"Silvan?"

I jolted; a warm hand placed itself on my shoulder. I glanced up at familiar ocean eyes.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I replied, straining to keep myself from stuttering.

"Did you have a bad night?" Yusei asked, encircling me in his arms.

"I'll be fine," I sighed. "It's nothing that will bother me..."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't think it'll help..."

"Regardless, I want to know what's on your mind."

"It's just what happened yesterday," I mumbled. "No big deal..."

"You're afraid that she'll come back? Is that it?"

"No... Well, maybe."

"Silvan, I thought you said yourself that the light you saw was Morrigan's destruction."

"No, it wasn't Morrigan. That one's name was Sekhmet," I replied. "In that light, after you showed the Key to her... I saw her past. At the end of it all, she reached out to me like she was coming to strangle me."

"So, you are afraid?"

"...I'm still pondering that."

Yusei sighed and ruffled my bangs. "Don't worry. If all else fails, I can come and bail you out again."

"You talk like you can fix everything."

"Who says I can't?"

I exhaled loudly. "You can't protect me from everything."

He smiled as his eyes scanned my face. "I can try."

I gave a short sigh. Always the optimist. I leaned up to press my lips to his jaw, then I jumped up off of the couch.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I really have to pee."

"Wow, you're such a lady."

"Thanks."

Upstairs in the restroom, I spent a majority of the time staring at myself in the mirror.

My face was small and considerably thin, pale, and colorless. The skin was totally smooth and flawless, excluding the light and barely noticeable peppering of freckles across the bridge of my nose. I'd never considered myself especially pretty (although that seemed to be a reoccurring compliment among boys who talked to me) since I didn't wear makeup like other girls my age, but I didn't usually complain.

I'd always liked my eyes, but looking at them now was almost a terrifying experience. They were large and round, tapered at the corners, and were fringed by "unusually long eyelashes," as Martha used to tell me. But she'd said they were pretty too, and when you're a twelve-year old and self-conscious, you appreciate whenever anything about you is complimented.

The color was somewhat strange, almost alluring. Like the clear color you get when you freeze water, but just slightly tinted blue.

The only difference now between my eyes and that copy's were the consistency; mine seemed liquified, almost softened by some innate experience. I remembered the ice in hers, the kind that could drip down into my heart and then freeze there for a long time.

I'd never been afraid of death, of losing my own life. The reason I cowered now had nothing to do with death. I was afraid because of the possibility of me being the cause of my own demise. Looking at Sekhmet's eyes was like looking at a negative copy of me, and maybe what scared me the most was not of me being my own death, but me being the death of my friends.

I blinked. For a moment, I thought that the eyes I'd been trapped in had turned green.

I splashed some cool water in my face and exhaled deeply before opening the door again and heading downstairs, where Yusei was sitting in the kitchen with the Millennium Key.

It was on the table in front of him and he stared at it blankly for a while, like he was pondering it rather than examining it.

"Someone's deep in thought," I commented. "What's going on in there?"

When he didn't answer, I stared around his face to catch his eye. He flinched when he saw me. "What?"

"What are you thinking about?" I repeated.

"Just trying to remember anything I read or knew about beforehand," he answered absently, continuing to stare at the Key.

I picked it up off of the table, weighing it in my palms, and turned it over in my hands. It looked like an Egyptian Ankh straight from an old mythology book for grade-schoolers.

The entire thing was made of a thick, scaled silver metal that scalloped around in a strange pattern. A red gem the size of a marble was set in the center, where the upper ring connected to the shaft of the key.

I remembered the picture I'd seen in the old yellowing book Kasumi had shown me, and tried to remember if there'd been a gem in it.

"Whoa," I said, my voice straining, and the room began to spin. "Uh oh..."

I stumbled, and Yusei caught me and took the Key from me as the headache began to set in and my vision faded into black.

I was able to see again moments after, but now I was in a spacious room made of reddish stone. A stone table stretched out in front of me, seven different gold objects spread out over it.

Among them, I recognized the Millennium Key I'd been looking at only a few moments ago; however, the one I saw now didn't look at all like the one Sekhmet used.

Suddenly, the ground under my feet began to crack and crumble. The table gave way and I dove away in time to avoid a falling boulder, crushing the stone beneath my feet.

The stone table crumbled and the Millennium Key-along with what I assumed were the other six Millennium Items-fell down into a thick opening in the stone ground.

The earth continued to quake, and I rushed to dodge more falling debris.

Just as I spotted the exit to the cavern, a boulder fell towards me and the vision ended just in time for me to avoid getting squished.

I jumped and my vision faded back to the guys' garage. Yusei set me on my feet.

"H-How long was I out?" I stuttered, rubbing the corners of my eyes.

"Relax, relax," he laughed. "Less than ten seconds."

"I think that's a new record," I mumbled.

"What did you see?"

"I'm not completely sure," I replied, "but it was weird."

My vision wavered again.

Another one? So soon after the first?

This new headache pulled me to my knees and I squeezed my eyes shut in an effort to drive it away; behind my eyelids, a picture formed.

A small woman moved through a crowd, her steps weak and hesitant. She made her way to an alley, where she slumped against a wall and let her hood fall. The woman's dark hair was cropped at her chin and the shorter strands of it stuck to her dark skin from the heat. Gold eyes darted around nervously, paranoid and tired-looking.

I shrunk back; this was the woman I saw in my nightmares. This was her face before she became my double.

Suddenly, she flinched and called, "Who's there? Show yourself!"

A man came out of the shadows; he was dressed in all white, his hand curled around a medieval sword sheathed in his belt. When he looked up, I could see that half of his face under the hood was mechanical.

"You've lost your Millennium Item, haven't you?" the voice he spoke in was slightly raspy, almost like it was aging as he spoke.

"What is your business knowing this?" Sekhmet spoke strangely, like she couldn't quite grasp the language.

"Hold your tongue. I represent someone who would like to help you."

"How can you possibly assist me?! I am tired, sick, and hungry! I eat, but I do not feel replenished! I sleep, but I do not feel revitalized!"

"It's because you played in a Shadow Game and lost some of your human qualities. What you need... Is this."

The man pressed a small bundle into Sekhmet's hands, which she unwrapped quickly. It was the Millennium Key, the same one that Yusei and I had currently.

"This-the Millennium Key!" Sekhmet clutched the Key close to her. "I was under the impression that this had been lost forever! How did you get it?"

"My superior created it to be to your liking. For a simple favor, it is yours to keep and use for as long as you please."

Sekhmet examined the Millennium Item in her hands, then looked back at the strange man. "What do you require me to do?"

The man began to speak again, but the vision became muffled, like bad static on an old radio. The picture fizzled and went out, and my eyes snapped open like pulling open shutters.

This time I was laying across the couch. Yusei glanced down at me. "Are you really awake?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you've been drifting in and out of it, mumbling to yourself." he wound his arms around my waist and laughed lightly. "Are you going insane on me?"

"I'll have to get back to you on that," I answered, straight-faced. "In that vision... I don't think this is the real Millennium Key."

"If it isn't the real one, where is the real one?"

"Forget that," I said, turning over the fake Key in my hands. "If this isn't the real Millennium Key, then why does it have the same capabilities as the actual thing? And exactly who made it to work the way it does?"

"Well," Yusei answered, lapsing out of his playfulness into a more thoughtful state, "what were the abilities of the original Millennium Key?"

"I think it has the power to gain access to a person's inner thoughts and recreate a person's soul. I think it can also destroy someone's personality, and make anyone the user wants invisible."

"And that was the effect it had on you, wasn't it?"

"Well, only a few of those things. I was invisible for a while, remember? And she recreated herself to look and act exactly like me."

"Almost exactly," Yusei amended.

"Yeah, yeah," I miffed. "But, remember? I could touch inanimate objects, but nothing living or breathing. Doesn't that seem strange to you?"

"I guess. Is that in the list of things it's supposed to do?"

"I can't remember," I replied. "But it doesn't sound very familiar to me."

"The bottom line is, this isn't the real thing," Yusei said, taking the Key from me. "So, where did this one come from?"

"In my vision, Sekhmet got it from a guy in a white robe. He said it was "created" by someone who wanted to help her out."

"'Help her out?'"

"Yeah. Sekhmet mentioned something about not being able to eat or sleep, about a "Shadow Game." The guy made it seem like the Millennium Key would help her."

"So, she was in trouble and the Millennium Key undid it? Now that we have it-"

"I think she's gone for good," I said.

"But, earlier, you said that you were afraid of her coming back?"

"Now that I've thought about it a little while longer, I think that she isn't what I'm afraid of."

Yusei let out a long sigh. "Make up your mind."

"You know what?" I sighed. "Never mind. I think I'll just forget about it for now."

"Are you sure?" Yusei's voice wavered slightly, like he wasn't sure he'd get the opportunity to talk with me about this ever again.

Well, I guess he'd learned over time; I'd definitely worry about this later, he just wouldn't know about it.

Thinking about it now, maybe I really wasn't afraid of Sekhmet. I was only afraid of myself, and what would happen if I ever went bad. Hopefully my friends would keep me far away from that road.

But as Yusei and I crossed over into the other room to check if Jack and Crow had returned from whatever they had been doing, I couldn't help but wonder what part the guy in white had to do with it.

And... where had I seen him before...?

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**This chapter is a little short :P sorry for that. The next chapter will be longer, and it will also include a duel. I really hope this chapter wasn't too awful, since I haven't picked up my pen for at least a month or so...**

**Also, if you guys like this story, I'm starting another one wth my pal Rimu-chan 84112 on our joint account called EibonRimu; we're calling it "Stand in the Rain," and it features Silvan, Yusei, and a whole other cast of characters that weave together into an all new storyline. We'd really appreciate it if you checked it out! :) **

**Thanks for reading! **

**See ya ;D**

**-Eibon**


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